Melody of Magic
by Feni
Summary: A young Harry Potter disappears from the Dursleys' residence. Years later Snape meets a musical prodigy by the name of Lucas, who shares Lily's eyes. Something is hidden behind those emerald irises, and Snape makes it his mission to find out what it is.
1. To the City of Wind

**A/N: **It's 3:27 A.M. I should be sleeping. But no, this plot bunny had to hop into my head and ruin all thoughts of sleep. Wonderful. You'll just have to deal with the 1,000 word chapters.

I'm still looking for a HP Characterization beta. =)

**Image Song:** Kaze no Machi He composed by Yuki Kajiura. Featured in Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, during the Otou arc.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP.

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><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Unbeta'd**

**Movement I – To the City of Wind**

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><p><em>Floating beyond time, there's a city made of wind<em>

_Please dear, take me there_

_Where dreams draped in white flowers come true_

_~Kaze no Machi He (English Dub)_

Christmas was _supposed_ to be a time when families came together.

Why then, was Harry Potter thrown outside with a hiss of "Freak!" from his Aunt Petunia? The five-year-old stared at the door of Number Four Privet Drive with wide, innocent eyes. He only burned a little bit of the Christmas ham. If Aunt Petunia wasn't as picky as she was, no one would have noticed! If Aunt Marge weren't visiting for the Christmas season, maybe Aunt Petunia would've been less picky. But then again, it was better to be as far away from Aunt Marge's dog as possible.

The boy's stomach growled, and pale hands pressed against it. It's not like Harry was going to get any of the food in the first place. He only wanted a little bit of food. Uncle Vernon and Dudley were fat enough already! Why couldn't they share any food with him? Aunt Marge verged on obesity herself. Even the _dog_ looked fatter than the poor kid.

Wasn't Christmas supposed to be a time for sharing too?

"Poor dear," a feminine voice whispered. Young Harry turned around to see a woman dressed in all white. A hood covered her face and hair from view. The woman knelt down and gathered the boy into her arms. "What are you doing here all alone? Where's your family?"

Harry pointed inside. The woman's grip tightened around him. She picked him up and held him, pressing his head into the crook of her neck. Harry whimpered and curled closer; she was so warm. He'd never been hugged before, let alone be touched in any manner other than a harsh tug into the house or Cupboard.

He shivered; the Cupboard was for really bad boys like him. Would the Huggy Lady put him in one too? Harry hoped that she wouldn't, but he tightened his grip on her neck anyway.

The woman sighed, pressing a kiss to the boy's disheveled locks. "Little One, why don't you come with me? I can take you away from these nasty people," she whispered to him, rubbing small circles in the boy's back. "You deserve a place where you'll be loved."

_**Love? What's that?**_ Harry thought to himself. _**Betta than Unca Vernon and Auntie Pet..**_ Harry nodded against her shoulder, eyelids beginning to droop.

"All right, then. Hold on tight!" The two disappeared with a distinctive pop.

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><p>A screeching alarm made both Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore jump. The older one turned to a simple clock mounted on a nearby wall. A swish of the Headmaster's wand silenced the annoying machine.<p>

"Oh dear," Dumbledore muttered, glancing over at the one hand of the clock. "I must ask you to do something for me, Severus."

"Anything, Headmaster."

A slight smile crossed Dumbledore's wrinkled face. "My clock says that Harry Potter has gone missing. Could you go che—"

"No."

"But Severus…"

"Absolutely _not_, Albus! I refuse. I am _not_ the Potter-spawn's keeper!"

The smile faded from Dumbledore's lips as he replied in a soft tone, "But you often forget that Harry is Lily's child as well." At this the younger man tensed. "I hear there's a blizzard by Harry's house. The clock may be malfunctioning, but I cannot check myself as I have students to tend to." The Potions Master nodded; he knew Dumbledore was referring to the few children who stayed at Hogwarts over the Christmas Holiday. As the rest of staff spent the time with their own families, Dumbledore and Snape were the only ones at the school.

Severus would rather not think about why those children chose to stay at Hogwarts, though he knew why most of them did already. A good majority of them came from his own Slytherin house, and Slytherin was unfortunately known to be the home the less… appreciated children. Coming from one such household himself, Severus knew better not to ask unless the students came to him first.

"Very well, Headmaster," Snape replied tersely, his cloak billowing as he turned on his heel and began walking toward the door.

"Thank you, my boy," was the response before the door to the Headmaster's office slammed shut.

A quick walk and disapparation later, Snape found himself in the middle of the worst storm Little Whinging had seen in centuries. The wizard cast a warming charm and wrapped his cloak more firmly around him. Good thing that he apparated just before the boundaries of Number Four Privet Drive, as the bustle of snowflakes made it impossible to see a few feet ahead. Silently cursing the Potter-boy for ruining his Christmas, the man trudged forward.

He peered through the nearest window, which gave a view of a large feast and a family sitting around it. Severus grimaced; three of the four people sitting around the table were extremely overweight, while one woman remained as thin as a stick. _**Ah, Petunia,**_ Snape thought with a sneer. When the lips of the inhabitants began to move, Severus whispered an amplification spell.

"My goodness! Is this ham _burned_?" the fat lady tsked, "I told you that boy was nothing but trouble! I'll sick Ripper on him again. Where's the damn brat?"

"I've already left him outside to think about what he's done," Petunia said without a care in the world. Severus' eyes narrowed. Didn't they know there was a blizzard occurring?

"I wanna throw snowballs at the Freak!" the youngest pig squealed, jumping up and down in his seat. His massive weight caused the dishes on the table to rattle.

"Finish your food first, Duddykins. Why don't you have Ripper join you?" the fat woman replied.

"You're stupid. Dogs can't throw snowballs!" the boy pointed and laughed.

The supposed man of the house turned to the boy, "Dudders, don't call your Aunt Marge names."

"But she's stu—" Severus left the windowsill as the whale of a boy choked on something. _**What did they mean by 'left him outside'? Surely they cannot mean… **_With a nagging tug in his chest, the professor slipped around the house to the back. Seeing no signs of life there, he walked to the front door.

To his silent horror, there were faint indents of footprints on the front doorstep. His eyes narrowed as he could see the outline of the toes. That meant the boy hadn't been wearing shoes when he was thrown out by Petunia. Severus turned his head to the left. He could see larger boot-shaped tracks in the snow, but there was no sign of the Potter-boy. Snape cursed as he followed the larger footprints outside the boundaries of the house. He immediately disapparated and began sprinting toward the castle.

Dumbledore's clock wasn't broken. Harry Potter was gone.


	2. An Encounter with a Miracle

**A/N: **I'm really surprised that people like this so much. Thanks for the alerts and favorites! I appreciate them all. =)

STILL looking for that beta. T_T I really want to learn how to write Severus and Harry well…

**Image Song:** Kouya no Heath from the anime Aquarion. Yes, it's another mech anime, but it's actually quite good. Not that anything will _ever_ top Gundam...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP or the Image Song.

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><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Unbeta'd**

**Movement II – An Encounter with a Miracle  
><strong>

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><p><em>An encounter with a miracle takes my breath away.<em>

_What are you looking at,_

_With those clear, bright eyes?_

_~Kouya no Heath (English Translation)  
><em>

Severus Snape didn't expect to end up in New York City. In fact, he didn't expect to be looking for Harry Potter at all, at least not for this long. After the Potter-brat had the audacity to disappear on the entire wizarding world, Snape wasted all of his free time in the last three years to try and find him. He certainly couldn't refuse because Albus Dumbledore was the one calling the shots. After all, life debts couldn't be forgotten that easily.

The initial reaction of the Wizarding World to Potter's disappearance was none too pretty, and few knew of the actual situation. The most popular rumor was that Harry Potter was abducted by some dark wizard or witch. Snape was here to dispel those rumors by finding the boy and bringing him back to England, where he belonged. The blizzard didn't help his case any.

_**If there weren't so many muggles around, I would have raised some kind of physical barrier. The warming charms can only do so much, **_the spy thought to himself as he wrapped his arms around his biceps. _**Perhaps now is not the best time. I need to find somewhere to apparate.**_ As on the day the Boy-Who-Lived disappeared, the snow bustled around, making visibility an issue. Snape cursed beneath his breath. At this rate he would freeze before finding an abandoned alley. And that was saying something, considering just how many of those alleys New York had.

Seeing a warm light spill out onto the snow, Snape ducked into a nearby café. He shook out his down coat. The professor heard disgruntled whispers as the snowflakes from his coat melted all over the wood. He paid them no mind as he scanned the room for an empty booth. To his surprise, patrons littered the inside of the café. One part of Snape told him that they were just here to avoid the cold, but the other half said that they were here for a different reason. Many of their coats and sweaters weren't dripping wet like his, and the snowstorm picked up only recently.

No, they were here for a different reason, and that kept Snape's interest for now.

Snape draped his coat over one arm and crossed them. He decided to lean against the doorframe when a sudden voice caused him to nearly stumble forward. "Sir, you shouldn't be standing when there's a seat right here!" Snape turned stoic onyx irises to a young woman sitting in the booth next to him. She smiled, scooting over to the wall edge of the cubicle. Her black hair fluttered over her shoulders as she moved, making her seem almost ethereal. "C'mon, Mr. Sourpuss! I don't bite." The smile widened. "Not on Fridays, anyway."

"I am not remaining for lo—" He tripped over his last word as he was unceremoniously tugged into the booth next to the girl.

"Sure," the girl said, sticking out her tongue after she let go of his arm. "Can I convince you to stay here just for a few more minutes? I promise you won't regret it! Aaaand…" She gestured with a slightly tanned hand to his jacket. "Judging by _that_, you came in here to escape the storm anyways. Since you're not from around here, I'm gonna warn you that the storm's gonna last a while. Before you ask, it's 'cause of your accent, silly."

"I do not appreciate being called _silly_," Snape drawled. The girl did have some logic though. "Many people in this part of the city have a similar accent, including yourself."

"How observant!" She clapped her hands together and placed them in front of her mouth. "I moved here from England a few years ago, and my accent has all but disappeared. You have good ears, Mr. Sourpuss."

He needed those ears to detect any foul play during Potions' class. The hearing didn't deter him during those Death Eater meetings either. Snape's eyebrow twitched, "I do not appreciate that nickname either."

"Well then, you should introduce yourself like a proper gentleman!" The tone scolded him as if he were one of the dunderheads he had to teach.

"I am… Lawrence."

The girl pouted. "Aw, no last name? Fine then. You can call me Iris! Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Lawrence!" She held out a hand with an expectant gaze. Against his better judgment, Snape took the hand in a firm handshake. "So…" Iris began, "I bet you wanna know what's up. It's not every day that a simple café is filled up like this." Iris leaned against the corner of the booth, curling into a more comfortable position.

Snape nodded his assent. This girl was tolerable, unlike the students at Hogwarts. She didn't look much older than her mid-twenties, though. Perhaps she was a recent university graduate. This Iris girl would have made a decent witch. Too bad she was a muggle.

"There's gonna be a special performance tonight," Iris explained, breaking Snape's train of thought. She pointed to a stage up front. A simple baby grand piano sat upon it, pristine and ready to be played. A spotlight glared on the short bench sitting beside the keys. "That's all I'm gonna tell you, 'cause I'm pretty sure Lucas can show you the rest for himself."

On cue, an announcer walked up the steps to the stage, holding a hand microphone. "Are you all ready for this?" the man shouted into the machine. Snape winced as a chorus of 'whoots' echoed through the store, the loudest coming from the girl next to him. He turned his infamous glare to her, but all he received in return was a wide, albeit sheepish, grin. No one would dare to respond to him in such a cheeky manner, exempting the foolish First Years who had yet to hear of his reputation. Before he could open his mouth to say anything more, the man holding the microphone continued. "I won't keep you all waiting! Give it up for Lucas!"

A boy who looked far too small for his age stepped onto the stage. A mop of black hair sat atop his head, much like someone Severus _loathed_. The spy's breath hitched as his worst fears were revealed.

He had Lily's eyes.


	3. Moonlight Sonata

**A/N:**I got 30 alerts in one day with this piece of fiction... o3o Wasn't expecting that. Didn't expect to get put into a P&S C2, either. Huge thank you to whoever did that!

Didn't know that people love Child!Harry stories that much! I wanted to write my own version of the prompt because a) there aren't many out there anymore and b) I needed somewhere to vent my musical inspiration.

I still need a Harry Potter beta, though. Anyone? Please? Don't make me beg.

Review reply to anonymous adenoide: It's been _**three**_ years. I think that's enough time to find Harry. This isn't going to be your typical 'finding Harry' fic, and you'll see why at the end of this chapter.

**Image**** Song:** Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. I really love this piece, and I continue to play it even though I learned it **years** ago. If it weren't so long, I'd have it memorized by now.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own HP or the Image Song. I only own Iris. =)

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><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Unbeta'd**

**Movement**** III**** – ****Moonlight ****Sonata**

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><p><em>A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.<em>

_~Oscar__ Wilde_

Lucas knew right away that tonight's performance had to be his best. As to why, he'd explain it as some kind of intuition, an **urge**. Something in his gut told him that someone important was going to be in the audience today. The eight-year-old boy gulped and paced backstage. He could already tell from the chatter outside that the café was packed. Not that he had stage fright anymore, but… Lucas bit the insides of his cheeks. He couldn't afford to mess up here! Mommy wouldn't throw him out on the street like Aunt Petunia did all those years ago, though, so Lucas didn't need to worry about that. However, Lucas knew for sure that he needed to impress this important person.

As the door to the stage opened, soft light spilled backstage. A roar of applause followed suit. The performer gulped before taking a few tentative steps on stage. He scanned the crowd, trying to find someone who didn't quite belong there.

And found him he did. Lucas nearly took a step back as he locked gazes with a dark man sitting in a booth in the back. Although he was garbed in all black, Lucas didn't think he was a bad guy. On the contrary, Lucas thought he was as shocked as he himself was. It was the most obvious emotion shining in the onyx pools. There were other emotions there too, but if Lucas took the time to analyze them, the important man would catch Lucas staring.

Oh, right. He had a song to play. Lucas allowed a small smile to shape his lips as he turned to the baby grand. He ghosted his right hand over the keys with infinite care before sitting down at the bench. His right foot tested the right-most pedal, and Lucas nodded. Mommy made sure everything was perfect for him, all the time. He really needed to thank her again sometime soon.

First, though, he'd make a little change in the itinerary they had for tonight. Lucas took a deep breath and positioned his fingers above the keys.

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><p>There was no doubt.<p>

Lucas was Lily's son. But how in the world did he end up here? How did he get half-way across the ocean? Was he living with someone magical? Three years had passed, so he could even be living with a muggle. How was he supposed to break the news to them if they **were** muggles?

"Stop thinking so much!" Iris chided from his left. Snape shook his head. "That's better. Now pay attention! He's gonna play this one just for you." Before Snape could retort, the boy had already sat down at the bench.

The Potions Master could only stare as the boy's first note was a G sharp. A slow melody followed suit, contrasting against the warmth of the café. Snape's eyelids slipped shut as he allowed himself to get absorbed in the brooding melody of Beethoven's _Moonlight __Sonata_. Each time a note was played, Snape relaxed. He didn't notice himself settling further into the cushions of the booth's chair or how Iris was grinning at him with a playful glint in her eyes.

Snape couldn't help but feel mildly surprised at the emotion the boy used as he played. He matched each _crescendo_ and _decrescendo_, but Lucas also added a twinge of emotion when each section ended. Not many professionals could play like Lucas could, and he was still so young. It would be a shame if the boy's talents were to go to waste, so Snape could only hope—wait, hope?—that he would continue to play the piano in such a matter.

When the first movement drew to a close, Snape opened his eyes again. His gaze narrowed when he noticed an odd aura surrounding the performer's fingertips. That further supported his theory that Lucas was Harry Potter. However, Lucas was not using the magic to enhance his playing. No, that wasn't it at all. Snape's eyebrows furrowed. The professor didn't know exactly how to describe what the magic was doing. The barely visible tendrils of light wrapped around Lucas' hands and sparkled when he pressed down on the keys. Odd.

Burning suddenly radiated from Snape's left forearm. On instinct, his right hand grabbed at the flesh, but thankfully he didn't hiss. The movement did garner the girl's attention, though. "Hey, are you all right?" Iris asked, leaning over towards him.

"I'm… fine," Snape replied, still gripping his left forearm.

"Liar." Gentle hands pried his right hand away. Snape once again glared at the girl but was shooed as if he were a little child. "Shut up and listen to Lucas play. I'll take care of this."

"I doubt that you can be of any—"

"**Shut. ****Up.**" One finger pushed at his left temple, turning the man's gaze back to the performance. Iris' other hand began massaging the muscles surrounding the Dark Mark (though Snape was certain she didn't know what lay beneath his long sleeve shirt). Bit by bit the pain faded away. However, his attention was turned once again to the young boy who was now playing the second movement of Beethoven's masterpiece. The third movement followed suit, sounding much like the other two.

A thunderous applause arose from the crowd once the last note was played. Teenagers and adults alike stood from their places and clapped for the young boy on stage. Snape blinked as Iris let him go. He turned his head to her and saw the girl standing on her seat, clapping the loudest.

"GO LUCAS!" Iris screamed, cupping her hands around her mouth. The boy slowly pushed back the piano chair at the shout before standing up. He bowed with one hand folded over his stomach. His emerald eyes glimmered with happiness and a hint of a smile sat on his face. Immediately, people began to crowd around the boy. Snape assumed they were asking for autographs; they were quite popular with the tourists, after all.

"I tooold you!" Iris squealed as she plopped back down on the seat. A dumbfounded expression sat on the normally-dour professor's face. "But anyways, I gotta go. So if you don't mind…" Snape stood up, allowing the young woman to step out of the booth. As she brushed passed, Snape felt an odd tingle where their clothes touched. What did muggles call it again? Static electricity? It was a possibility.

"I think that we're gonna meet sometime again soon," the girl continued as she pulled on her coat. "Maybe we could grab a cuppa when you're less busy, huh?"

A hint of a smile appeared on Snape's lips. "Perhaps."

"Awesome!" Iris winked as she turned to leave. "See ya later, Mr. Lawrence!" She raised one hand when she walked out the door. Snape was left staring after the odd girl for a few moments before he blinked himself out of his thoughts.

Now, back to the more important matter. Snape turned back to the front of the café to see Lucas surrounded by a crowd of patrons. The professor wasn't known as a patient man, so a tiny compulsion spell shouldn't be much of a surprise. Slowly the crowd parted, allowing Snape to approach the boy. A scowl appeared on his face when his thoughts were correct; he saw the boy signing autographs. However, that scowl faded little by little as he came to observe **how** the boy went about doing that.

James Potter would have been flaunting his skills, signing photographs left and right. He would be wearing that cocky smile of his while doing it. But Lucas… Lucas took each pen as if it were sacred. Instead of signing with a flourish as James would have, Lucas took his time signing whatever people gave him. James would have brushed off each fan. Instead, Lucas thanked each one individually, with a soft smile on his face. A tiny bow and a handshake ended each interaction.

Albus was, again, infuriatingly correct. Lucas was both James **and** Lily's son.

When he finally was close enough to talk to the boy, the professor found himself at a loss of what to say. Unfortunately, his usual snide remark came out first. "Ah, Lucas. New York City's newest… **celebrity**." The pink player turned to him with a frown. A small blush painted his pale cheeks, and Lucas bit the inside of them.

_**Damn,**_ Snape thought to himself. _**I**__**'**__**m **__**going**__** to **__**have**__** to **__**take **__**a **__**different**__** approach.**_

"You performed… remarkably well today," Snape began, kneeling down so that they were at the same eye-level. A shy smile caused Snape's heart to clench; it was Lily's smile. "Not many know of—let alone are able to play with such emotion—all the movements of Beethoven's masterpiece. You must be…" the man took some time to figure out the right word, one that he didn't use often. "Proud." At this, a mad blush spread across Lucas' face. He nodded furiously, his fringe bobbing along with it.

The Dark Mark burned again, making Snape curse beneath his breath.

"Will you be returning here in the future?" Lucas nodded again. "I assume you will be present next Friday." Another nod. "I will return then." Lily's smile came back. Lucas waved fondly as Snape stood and walked out of the café. As soon as he was out of sight, Snape hissed. He grabbed his left forearm, trying to alleviate the pain of the Dark Mark. He apparated when he reached the next alleyway.

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><p>Snape collapsed in the Hospital Wing, twitching from the aftereffects of the <em>Cruciatus<em> curse. Of course the Unforgivable was the Dark Lord's favorite curse. It was probably Snape's lack of information that earned him the _Cruciatus _tonight. Snape was thrown out of his thoughts as he heard frantic footsteps coming closer and closer.

"Honestly! Every time you return from one of those blasted meetings, you come back even worse!" Madam Pomfrey twittered as she levitated Snape onto the nearest bed. She spelled a prepared pain reliever into his stomach and poured the anti-_Cruciatus_ down his throat. "You're far too young to have so much nerve damage!" The matron placed her hands on her hips. "I'll give Albus a piece of my mind next time I see him!"

That's when the Headmaster walked into the room. Poppy opened her mouth to protest, but a wrinkled hand stopped her from saying anything at all. "Have you found Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape glared. Of course Albus would ask about the Golden Boy and not about the broken man on the sheets. It's not that Snape needed care or anything, but it did irk him that he was merely a pawn in Dumbledore's game. However, pawns had a distinct advantage. If you were able to move the pawn to the other side of the board, between and beyond the defenses of the enemy, it turned into a queen. Although the king was the most important piece overall, it was the queen who was the most powerful.

It was time to take back control of his life.

"No," Severus replied. "I have not."


	4. What Do You Want From Me

**A/N:**Short one today, folks. XD This wasn't supposed to be written today, but I couldn't stop typing! You guys are my inspiration and my drive. I love you all so much! T_T

**Image ****Song:** What Do You Want From Me by Adam Lambert. I was thinking of this the whole time while typing up Snape's parts. Go figure.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own HP or the Image Song. I only own Iris. =)

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><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Unbeta'd**

**Movement IV – What Do You Want From Me**

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><p><em>There might have been a time when I would give myself away<em>

_Oh, once upon a time, I didn't give a damn_

_But now, here we are_

_So what do you want from me?_

_~ What Do You Want From Me_

Dumbledore's smile contorted into a frown. "Now, Severus, are you absolutely sure?"

The Potions Master rolled his eyes. "Of course, Headmaster. The lead has gone cold, in more than one sense of the word."

"Ah, yes. Mother Nature loves to gift America with winter storms. I believe they're called Northeasters in New York?" the Headmaster thought aloud, one hand stroking his beard. "In any case, I apologize for sending you out there in such horrible conditions! Perhaps I could make it up to you. Lemon drop?" The old man reached into a pocket and retrieved the aforementioned treat.

Snape wanted to explode at the man and his damn candies, but Poppy intervened. "Albus, I think it'd be best if you stopped heckling my patient! It's almost time for breakfast, and you know how the children will react if they don't see you there."

"Then I must be off!" Dumbledore replied with cheer as he turned and walked out of the Hospital Wing.

After the Headmaster left, Snape released a long, drawn out sigh. Would he ever get a break? Madam Pomfrey sat down next to the professor. "I don't need to be coddled, woman," Snape hissed.

"Nonsense," Poppy replied, smoothing her skirt down. She leaned closer to the man. "You **did** find the boy."

Snape scoffed, "You sound confident."

"Severus Snape, I've known you all through your Hogwarts' years up to now. Of **course** I can tell when you're lying, young man!" Snape had to shrink back a little at the bite in the matron's voice. Again, he was being treated like the weakling he once was. "I know you have your reasons from keeping this from the Headmaster, and I won't pry to ask why… not until you've recovered." The woman stood up and smiled softly. "I'll give you some time to recuperate." Without another word, the nurse turned and left her patient to rest.

Snape allowed the pillows and blanket to encase him in warmth. He fell into a deep darkness devoid of dreams.

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><p>Once the crowd died down, Lucas quietly slipped into the back rooms. He absentmindedly rubbed at his lightning-bolt scar. It started aching during the song, and Lucas had used all his will-power to keep his focus on <em>Moonlight<em>_Sonata_. The child walked into the washroom at the end of the hallway and doused his face with cold water.

"Lucas, honey?" The boy wiped off his face and turned around to see a young woman bundled in white winter clothing. Her black hair contrasted greatly with it, as did her dusky skin. She knelt down on one knee as Lucas ran into her arms. "What's wrong, dear?"

The boy buried his head in the woman's neck and smiled. The one holding him giggled as she stood up, running a hand through his untamable locks. "I haven't seen you this happy in ages! Did seeing another wizard really pick up your mood?" the woman asked as she closed the door of the washroom. She adjusted Lucas on her hip before heading to the dressing room where his things were. Lucas nodded again.

"Well, in a few years, you're going to see a whole bunch of them!" the woman exclaimed as she bustled around the room. "When you turn eleven, you'll be invited to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She closed the boy's backpack with one hand and put down Lucas with the other. He looked up at her with wide eyes. "Yes, really," the woman amended, tapping the boy's nose. Lucas scrunched up his face, causing the woman to laugh again.

"I'll let you in on a little secret." The woman knelt down and whispered in Lucas' ear. "Professor Snape teaches Potions at Hogwarts." She didn't even have time to lean back as the boy tackled her. "Ouch! You're gonna crush my windpipe, Lucas!" The boy kept on hugging her anyway. "Lucas Harry Potter, you let go of me this instant!"

Quite reluctantly, the boy pulled away. His eyes watered, causing the woman to sigh. "Oh, Lucas." She wrapped her arms around him. "You have a right to be excited, just not to the point of hurting others, okay? Trust me, it's best that you learn this lesson now." The boy tensed, making the woman sigh. "Honey, you won't be punished for something as trivial as this! Remember what I told you."

The woman pressed a kiss to Lucas' forehead, right above his scar. "How about we go home, honey? I'll bake your favorite cookies as reward for your awesome performance today." She held Lucas at arms' length and saw how his eyes lit up. Even if this boy was a handful, he was worth it. He would always be worth it.

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><p>Severus groaned as sunlight spilled on his face. He blinked his eyes open to the vastness of the empty hospital wing. <em><strong>Not<strong>__** that**__** it **__**will**__** be **__**for **__**long,**_ the man thought to himself. School was to resume in another three weeks. He was originally going to spend the time by himself immersed in research, but one Harry Potter ruined all of his plans. Again.

Using his forearms as leverage, the professor braced himself against the headboard of the hospital bed. He had one week until he would need to return to New York. In that time he would need to recover his strength, as trans-Atlantic apparition took more out of him than he thought. Snape also needed to conjure up a plan of how to get closer to the boy. Lucas trusted him already, and Snape blamed it on the innocence the child still possessed.

_**I **__**should **__**consider **__**myself **__**lucky,**_ Snape thought to himself, crossing his arms. _**There**__** could**__** have **__**been **__**a **__**much **__**worse **__**situation.**_ Considering the history of the American city, the man was right. _**But**__** how **__**will **__**I **__**garner **__**more **__**information**__** from **__**the **__**boy**__**?**__** He **__**was **__**shaking **__**as **__**it **__**was**__**…**_

_ "I think that we're gonna meet sometime again soon," the girl continued as she pulled on her coat. "Maybe we could grab a cuppa when you're less busy, huh?"_

_A hint of a smile appeared on Snape's lips. "Perhaps."_

"_Awesome!" Iris winked as she turned to leave. "See ya later, Mr. Lawrence!"_

That's it. He'd use the girl to get some more information. She seemed to be a usual customer there. It would be a start, and Severus wasn't completely adverse to her company. But how was he going to track the girl down? A simple _Point__ Me_ wouldn't work across the sea.

Speaking of spells… Severus reached into his robe pocket, which was conveniently placed on the nightstand next to the bed. As he pulled out his wand, a small piece of paper fell out with it. Severus blinked and picked up the scrap.

**Hey-ya, Mr. Lawrence!**

**Betcha you didn't notice me slip this into your pocket. My college buddies used to call me Ninja, you know. (Well, you didn't, but you do now.)**

**My number's below if you want to get in touch with me before next Friday.**

**Yes, I know you're coming, silly. That's when Lucas' next performance is!**

**Wear something more comfortable next time; I don't think a blizzard like that is gonna come back for a while. I'll let you know otherwise, kay?**

**See you soon~**

**-Iris**

Severus shook his head as he read the note. Now he just needed to get a hold of some kind of… telephone. Damn, it'd been a while. The Potion's Master could only hope that technology hadn't changed so much from when he was last in the Muggle World.

How wrong one could be.


	5. Telephone

**A/N:**Over **100** story alerts already? **REALLY?** Mind. Is. Blown. I can't thank you guys enough, really.

I laughed the whole time while I wrote this and thought of my parents. Yes, I realize the true HP series takes place during the 80s and 90s, but I'm bumping that up a decade (or two) to include the tech aspect of this story.

Cookies to those who can figure out where I got the new characters. I don't own them. =]

**Image**** Song:** One of my college buddies showed me the song I Ain't Got No iPhone, and I immediately fell in love with it. XD It works lovely with this chapter.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own HP or the Image Song. I only own Iris. =)

* * *

><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Unbeta'd**

**Movement V – Telephone**

* * *

><p><em>I hate my life and I wanna die<em>

_I ain't got no iPhone_

_My heart is breakin', thinkin' suicide_

_I ain't got no iPhone_

_~I Ain't Got No iPhone_

This was a **disaster**. Snape tried to figure out what telephones were out now, tried being the key word. Mr. Weasley was his first option, but that didn't turn out well; Snape shivered just thinking about it. That's when he decided that going to the café directly was the best choice. Although it was still the dead of winter, no snow blocked Snape's way. He stopped in front of the building to take a good look at the sign. Atop the wood was painted a black cat with wide yellow eyes. Below the head was the name of the establishment.

"The Cat's Eye," Snape mused as he walked in. The chime of a bell announced his arrival. He glanced around and saw only a few customers. _**A**__** small**__** crowd **__**compared **__**to **__**that**__** on**__** Friday.**_ Snape mentally checked the date. _**Mondays **__**wouldn**__**'**__**t **__**attract**__** many**__** customers,**__** I**__** suppose.**_

"Hyuu! The Dark Man came back!" Snape swiveled on the balls of his feet to spy the bartender sporting a smirk. His blonde hair and eerily blue eyes said to Snape that this man was… different.

"Excuse me?"

The bartender laughed, "That's what everyone called you on Friday. You only gave your name to Iris, right?"

The Potion's Master glared. "And you would know this… how?"

The other man laughed again. "Iris always gets the name of a person during her first meeting with him or her. Makes it less awkward." Snape mentally agreed. "Oh, how rude of me! The name's Fai. Fai D. Fluorite, to be more formal. You can just call me Fai." The blonde held out a pale hand, and the professor took it. "Do you want a drink? On the house."

"Tea would suffice," the professor replied after releasing Fai's hand. In no time at all, a cup was placed in front of him. "Earl Grey?"

"One of Iris' favorites," Fai said while she nodded. "Since you're from England, I figured you'd like it."

"You figured correctly. "Snape took a sip and released a near inaudible sigh. No cream or sugar, just how he liked it.

"Iris won't be around until after four. She's got classes until then," Fai explained, leaning against the back counter of the bar. "She's studying to become a nurse practitioner."

"Nurse practitioner?"

Fai nodded. "Yeah. She described it as halfway between a nurse and a doctor. More pay, regular hours. I think it's a good idea."

"Hn." Snape glanced at the cat-shaped clock on the wall. It was a cheap one shaped like the cat outside. The tail and eyes moved back and forth to keep the time. The clock read three forty-five. _**I**__**'**__**ll**__** wait **__**the **__**fifteen **__**minutes.**_

Fai suddenly leaned in and whispered, "Look. I know you're magical. I'll keep it a secret if you help me."

As Fai pulled back, acting as nothing happened, Snape glared. _**The**__** Ministry**__** would**__** have**__** my**__** head.**_ "What do you want."

"Information… About how the magical world works here. See, my friends and I are stuck here for a while, and I'd like to know the proper… use of magic in this world."

"Another world?"

Fai laughed. "It's a long story. Once I get my info, you'll get yours."

Snape shifted, uneasy. "I cannot speak of it here."

"Aw. Iris can take us to her place afterwards, I guess?" Fai asked no one in particular. He and the professor spent the next few minutes talking about minor magical differences: wands, the Ministry, and incantations included. They were only interrupted by the sudden crash of the front door against its frame.

Iris walked into the room, hauling a backpack filled with who-knows-what. She let the bag unceremoniously drop to the floor. Much to Snape's surprise, a loud thud echoed through the café.

"Iris," Fai chided, "You really should invest in an e-reader."

The girl plopped down on the barstool next to the Potion's Master. "I have a Nook! It's not **my** fault that my medical textbooks aren't available in either an .epub or .pdf! I swear, medical professionals are out to kill the new generation! You know **why**?" The petite girl took a breath. "Oh, I'll **tell** you why! They want to keep all the money to themselves, but at the same time, they're endangering their patients because they're all… **Senile.**** Old.**** Fools!**" At the end of her rant, Iris was left panting for breath.

Iris turned to Snape once she caught her breath. "Oh. Hello! Wasn't expecting to see you here, sir!"

"You are quite… passionate about your work." Snape paused in the middle of his sentence to search for the right word. For the longest time, Snape thought that McGonagall was the only one who could rant that passionately about a subject. **_Again, this girl proves me wrong._**

Iris spun around on her barstool. "I cannot **wait** until I'm done."

"Don't you have a break?" Fai asked, popping into the conversation.

"Yup! After this week, I don't go back until the middle of January! I'll be freeeee!" Iris squealed, spinning the opposite way.

"You sound excited," Snape commented. _**What**__** an**__** odd **__**girl.**_

Iris stopped her spinning and grinned at him. "Take a walk in my shoes, sir, and you'll see how hard my life is."

_**She**__** would**__** say**__** differently**__** if**__** she**__** '**__**took **__**a**__** walk**__** in**__ my __**shoes.**__**'**_ "I disagree."

"Oh? Is that a challenge I hear?" The nursing student's grin shifted into a smirk.

"I think so~" Fai added, his pitch rising in the last word.

"No," Snape said bluntly.

Both Iris and Fai pouted and said, "Party pooper!"

_**What **__**in**__** the **__**world**__** have **__**I**__** gotten **__**myself**__** into?**_ Snape thought as he rubbed his temples. "Regardless. I would like to shift the conversation onto the topic of why I'm here."

"Right right," Iris replied as she nodded. "What's up?"

"Might you know when Lucas will be free? I assumed that you would, seeing as you support him so fervently."

"Are you calling me a **fangirl**?" Iris inquired, raising an eyebrow. Snape blinked; what the hell was a fangirl? "You know what… nevermind. Anyway, he's a busy boy. I could probably check with his guardians for you or something? If you called me, I would have had some information for you!"

Snape suddenly shut up, barely keeping his gaze with her. He was twenty-eight. He was supposed to know about the newest technology, but since he lived in the wizarding world… Snape never got that far in his planning.

"I'm always one step ahead, sir!" Iris leaned over to grab something out of her bag. After a few moments of shuffling the ridiculously heavy books around, she pulled out a small box. Seeing the professor's hesitation, the college student rolled her eyes. "It's a gift. Don't **make** me force you to take it! If you think you saw me mad **then**…"

For some reason, Snape suspected that the latter option wouldn't turn out so well. Part of it was because of the earlier rant. The other, latent part of him knew that Iris was capable of much, much more than she let on. It wasn't everyday that Snape received a gift, so he took caution in lifting the top. His eyes narrowed slightly as he picked up a plastic bag, more plastic resting inside. The teacher emptied the largest bag into his left hand.

The machine was small enough to fit in his pocket. Cold, smooth metal covered the machine. A screen flashed the time at him. As Snape looked the thing over, he found that the top was not connected to the bottom. When he bothered to open the thing, he saw numbers and letters on the bottom half and a bright screen on the top.

"It's a flip phone," Iris began to explain. "Nothing fancy, but I figured you didn't have one judging by how private you are… But seriously, you need one for emergencies! I already inputted my number in the phone. Even though there's a manual in there, it's prooobably better that you click around to figure things out."

Snape didn't know whether to be insulted or not. Didn't this thing run on electricity? It's not like the castle had—what were they called—outlets or anything. He would have to make some adjustments to this 'flip phone' after he returned to the castle.

"Thank you," Snape said, pure gratitude coating his tone.

Iris smiled softly, the sides of her mouth lifting only slightly. The look made Snape's heart stop. _**First**__** Lily**__**'**__**s **__**eyes **__**in**__** her**__** son**__** and**__** now**__** her**__** smile**__** in **__**this **__**woman**__**, too… **__**How**__** much **__**more **__**of **__**Lily **__**will **__**I **__**see?**_ As soon as the smile on the girl's face appeared, it faded. Snape noticed how Iris' face fell, but she quickly brushed off the sadness as if it were never there.

_**One **__**thing**__** at**__** a **__**time, **__**Severus, **_the professor thought to himself. He glanced down at the flip phone. _**How**__** does **__**this**__** blasted **__**thing**__** work,**__** anyway?**_


	6. I Want to Go Back

**A/N: **I just keep on getting ideas for this story! Gosh, I prewrote so much; NaNo is going straight to this story.

That schedule on my profile really isn't going to help me much. Sorry for the delay; I have a lot of real life stuff to deal with. =(

**Image ****Song:** Field of Innocence by Evanescence. This song fits both Iris and Lucas so well. Gosh, I just realized how much drama and angst I write… But I love it, and I hope you all love it too! (For the record, I'm perfectly capable of writing a ton of fluff; I just don't show it to anyone. xD)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP, TRC, or the Image Song. I only own Iris. =)

* * *

><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Movement VI – I Want to Go Back**

* * *

><p><em>Where has my heart gone?<em>

_An uneven trade for the real world_

_Oh I… I want to go back to_

_Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all_

_~Field of Innocence_

For an eight-year-old boy, Lucas was quite busy. Having just gotten back from school, he sunk into a nearby chair. He had his shows every Friday, piano lessons every Wednesday, elementary school with homework and tests and... Lucas shook his head to clear his thoughts. Mommy was quite busy as well. She worked twelve hour shifts three times per week. When she wasn't working, she was going back to school to get a higher degree. And when she wasn't dealing with all of **that**, she was spending time with Lucas.

_**Sometimes **__**I **__**wish **__**that **__**things **__**could **__**go **__**back **__**to **__**the **__**way **__**they **__**were.**_ Lucas turned his emerald irises to a photo sitting atop a nearby fireplace. The moving photograph showed his mother hugging him to her chest while they danced in the falling snow. Huge grins sat on both of their faces. _**But **__**I **__**guess **__**that **__**can**__**'**__**t **__**happen **__**since**__**…**_

A marimba ringtone suddenly tossed Lucas out of his thoughts. His little hands dug into his pockets searching for the vibrating phone. After a few seconds of searching, Lucas pulled out the iPhone with a triumphant cheer. He slid his finger over the proper arrow and grinned as Iris appeared.

"Hey! Did you just get back home?" Iris asked, a smile of her own shining bright. Lucas nodded fervently. "Well… Are you sitting down?" The boy blinked and nodded slower this time. "Kay! I've got Pro-Mr. Lawrence here who wants to talk to you! Is it okay if I bring him over in a few?" Lucas nodded again, nearly bouncing out of his chair. "Great! We'll be over there by five. Could you get some tea brewing?" The boy cocked his head to the side and raised two palms up, trying to decide a type. He saw the girl glance to her left. "I think Fai gave him some Earl Grey." She furrowed her eyebrows as she pondered. "Oh oh oh! If we have any _Genmaicha_, that'd be awesome. Kay?"

The boy smiled and saluted, causing the girl to laugh. Lucas pressed the 'end call' button and slipped the iPhone back into his pocket. _**What**__**'**__**s **_**Genmaicha **_**made **__**with? **__**Um**__**… **_Lucas wondered as he walked into the small kitchen. _**Brown **__**rice! **__**Need **__**to **__**toast **__**it **__**first.**_ Glad that he remembered the recipe correctly, the boy grinned as he plucked a pan from a nearby cabinet. Then he grabbed a small amount of brown rice and began toasting them.

It was ironic that Lucas enjoyed cooking, seeing as his Aunt and Uncle always scolded him for the smallest mistakes. His mommy's approval made all the difference, or at least that's what Lucas thought. Sure, his mommy cooked too, but sometimes she was far too stressed from her work to do much around the house.

Lucas frowned. _**Mommy **__**works **__**way **__**too **__**hard. **__**At **__**least **__**Christmas **__**is **__**in **__**a **__**few **__**weeks!**_ It was his favorite holiday because mommy would always spend time with him. She made it clear that she was **not** to be on call during that day. There were 365 days in a year… the hospital could do one day without her, right?

At another ring of his iPhone, Lucas bit the inside of his cheeks. Iris picked up the phone again. "Lucas, I just received a call from your mother. The hospital needs her again tonight. Will you be all right on your own?" Iris said this with a frown, her heart clenching as Lucas' face fell.

Out of nowhere, Fai poked his head into the screen. "Hey! I'll stick around tonight. I'll bring Kuro-puu and Shaoran with me, okay?" Lucas' grin returned, and his eyes shined bright. "I'll show you some tricks, too! See you then, sweetie!" The boy ended the call with a sigh. He wiped the tears gathering by his eyes with the back of his hand.

_**Mommy's always busy now… I hope she still loves me.**_

* * *

><p>It was then that Iris got yet another call on her iPhone. Snape watched as she rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. When she looked down at the number, her facial features hardened, almost to the point that Iris looked… dangerous. The professor stole a glance at the bartender and saw worry splayed over his features.<p>

"What," Iris spat into the phone once she answered. "Really? The one time I get to—yes, I understand. Of **course** I'm not happy with the development! I don't want—I told you, I don't want anything to do with you guys anymore." The anger surrounding the graduate student was almost tangible. Snape could nearly reach out his hand and grab a hold of the flared aura. "I meant what I said before. **Fuck. ****You.**" Iris ended the call with a scream, wringing her hands in her hair. Thank goodness the café had emptied out before the call.

Snape knew it was better not to ask, but he was relieved when Fai did for him. "Iris? Are you all right?" Fai asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged him off as she got up, avoiding eye contact with either man. "Sorry. I have to go deal with some bastards right now. Fai, you know the way ho-to Lucas' house. I'll stop by as soon as I'm able."

Fai nodded, though Snape knew the other wizard was hiding something. "All right. Since Lucas' mother is working, I'll stay with him tonight."

Iris still didn't look at either of them. "Again, sorry." She hauled her backpack up with surprising strength. "I've gotta go. See you tomorrow, Fai. See you whenever, Lawrence." She scurried out of the room, anger billowing off of her in waves.

As the door to the Cat's Eye slammed shut hard enough to rattle its glass, Snape turned to Fai. The blonde sighed, reaching back to pour himself a drink. "Give me a few minutes to close up, and I'll bring you to Lucas," Fai whispered after taking a swig of his scotch. Snape could only nod when the other man took a washcloth and wiped down the counter.

_**I **__**cannot **__**help **__**but **__**hope**__**—**__**what **__**is **__**it **__**with **__**this **__**word, **__**lately?**__**—**__**that **__**she **__**will **__**be **__**all **__**right. **__**The **__**way **__**she **__**acted **__**seemed **__**highly **__**out **__**of **__**character,**_ Snape thought. By this time, Fai was pulling on a thick blue and white coat. The flowing designs, the massive size, and the amount of fur told Snape that, yes, Fai was not from around here.

The bartender grinned and held the door open for the professor. "Okie dokies! Let's go~" Fai cheered. Snape nodded his thanks when he stepped out into the busy New York sidewalk. Fai closed the café entrance and made sure it was locked.

Their walk started in relative silence, but Snape couldn't take it anymore. "Might I be able to ask…" the Potion's Master began.

"It's not my story to tell," Fai replied in a flat tone. He kept staring ahead, once in a while dodging a passerby or two. Fai danced around each person instead of merely stepping aside as Snape did. "All I can tell you that our dear Iris is involved with some very bad people, because of her long-gone father."

"Long gone?"

"Dead."

Snape didn't find out much more after that. The walk to Lucas' house only took about five minutes. Snape found himself staring up at a decent apartment complex. At Fai's signal, Snape walked through the revolving doors and into the building. The lobby was filled with people of all ages, and the warm atmosphere was aided by the soft auburn paint on the walls. The two men walked into the elevator, and Fai pushed the button for the eighth floor.

Fai led the way to room 808. "Ready?" the other wizard asked with a slight smirk. Snape resisted the urge to smack the blonde as Fai rapped on the door three times. In only a few seconds, the door opened to reveal Lucas in all of his childish glee.

Lucas grinned and waved, standing aside to allow them in. Snape nodded to the boy, causing him to blush brightly again. The child closed the door behind them. As Lucas ran to the kitchen to grab the _Genmaicha_, Fai led Snape to a nearby sofa.

The apartment was modest and quite bright. The living room Snape currently sat in had a few large pieces of furniture including a nearby fireplace. As Snape's gaze fell to the mantle of that fireplace, he caught sight of a picture of a red-haired woman with emerald eyes. The picture was taken during their Hogwarts' days in front of the fountain in the courtyard. She leaned forward with her hands clasped behind her back, and the grin playing upon her lips made her eyes sparkle even more than they usually did.

"Lily." The whisper of her name was a prayer in and of itself.

"Lily?"

At the repetition, Snape turned to Fai. "Har—Lucas' biological mother," the professor replied, relieved that he had caught himself.

"She seems… You seem to garner many feelings for her," Fai continued carefully. The tone of the blonde's voice allowed Snape the option of whether or not to continue. The Potion's Master stepped closer to the picture, reaching out to pick the pristine frame off of the mantle. As his fingers brushed the edges, Snape heard hurried footsteps. He turned his head to find Lucas standing at the doorway of the room, carrying a tray of tea and biscuits.

Surprise showed clearly in the emerald irises, but the emotion quickly shifted to joy. Snape shook his head as he sat back down. _**He**__**'**__**s **__**an **__**open **__**book **__**and **__**just **__**as **__**fickle **__**as **__**his **__**mother **__**was.**_

Lucas got over his temporary shock as he scampered over to a coffee table sitting between Fai and Snape. He placed the tray down with surprising gentleness, considering how much energy the boy had. Lucas bounced onto the cushion next to the dark wizard, and he folded his hands in his lap politely. The boy inclined his head to the food as he kept his gaze locked with the company.

"These smell delicious, Lucas! Did you make them yourself?" Fai asked as he grabbed one of the biscuits. "And I bet you brewed the tea from scratch!" The boy nodded enthusiastically. Fai smiled back and took a bite out of the biscuit. Steam flowed from the bitten area, showing just how fresh the pastry was. "You've really outdone yourself here, Lucas! I bet Kuro-puu would even like these!"

_**Kuro-puu? **__**Must **__**be **__**an acquaintance **__**of **__**Fai**__**'**__**s. **__**The **__**bartender **__**said **__**he **__**would **__**bring **__**him **__**and **__**a '**__**Shaoran' **__**to **__**stay **__**the **__**night **__**with **__**Lucas.**_ Snape mulled over this as he gave Fai a look, but he reached out a hand to pick up a biscuit anyway. He felt Lucas' eyes on him as he took a cautious bite. Fai was right; this biscuit was baked perfectly. Before he could wonder where Lucas got his baking prowess, Snape had already devoured the whole biscuit.

"Even the Dark Man likes them, Lucas!" the professor heard across from him. "You get a high five for that!" Fai leaned over and offered a palm for Lucas to slap. Lucas promptly high-fived the blonde, even though a blush covered his face.

_**Just **__**how **__**well **__**does **__**Fai **__**know **__**him?**_ Snape asked himself mentally as he observed the interaction between the two. After the high-five, Lucas took his seat next to the teacher again.

The professor cleared his throat and inquired, "Might I be able to speak to you alone, Lucas?"

Fai stood up, brushing some crumbs off of his extravagant coat. "I'm sure you'll be fine with him, Lucas. I'm going to grab whoever's in the other apartment." Lucas nodded slowly as he led the blonde to the door. Before it closed, Fai leaned down and whispered into Lucas' ear, "If he gives you any trouble, you know what to do to contact me. I won't be gone for too long!" Fai stood straight and waved as Lucas closed the door.

_**Now **__**what?**_ Lucas thought. He walked back into the living room to see the wizard sipping on the _Genmaicha_ with a look of content on his face. _**I **__**can**__**'**__**t **__**bring **__**up **__**magic **__**without **__**looking **__**suspicious. I don't wanna answer any questions...**_ The boy took Fai's seat this time, clenching his fists in his lap. Calling Lucas nervous would be a huge understatement. Cold sweat slicked his skin, and thin shivers wracked his body.

Snape's eyes narrowed when he saw the difference in Lucas' reactions. "There's no need to be so tense, Har-Lucas. I do not wish to cause you any distress." Lucas hands loosened their grip just a little bit. "I need to ask you a few questions. I do not need answers right away, but I'd prefer you to answer as many as you are comfortable with."

Lucas bit his lips as Snape regarded him with those calculating black eyes. _**What **__**is **__**he **__**gonna **__**ask **__**me? **__**I **__**really **__**hope **__**it **__**won**__**'**__**t **__**be **__**bad. **__**I **__**wish **__**Mommy **__**was **__**here**__**…**_

After a few moments of terse silence, Snape began, "You are a very **special** boy, Lucas. Do you know why?" The teacher leaned forward in his seat a bit so he could catch Lucas' gaze. The boy rubbed his ankles together as he shrugged his shoulders a fraction of an inch. Lucas averted his gaze to the floor.

Snape sighed internally; again, this would be a tad harder than he originally planned. "When you play the piano, magic flows from your fingertips, enhancing your natural ability while you play. Do you feel when this happens?"

Lucas raised his eyes slightly, and then he turned his gaze to his fingers. He flexed the digits experimentally, watching how each movement was made with trained eyes. _**Is **__**magic **__**why **__**I **__**feel **__**so **__**happy **__**when **__**I **__**play? **__**But **__**Aunt **__**Petunia **__**and **__**Uncle **__**Vernon **__**said **__**that **__**magic **__**is **__**only **__**for **__**Freaks. **__**But **__**if **__**I**__**'**__**m **__**a **__**Freak**__**, **__**doesn**__**'**__**t **__**that **__**make **__him __**one **__**too?**_ Hesitant emerald eyes stole a glance into obsidian. _**He **__**doesn**__**'**__**t **__**look **__**like **__**a **__**Freak. Maybe it's just me?**_

The dark wizard's gaze hardened at the obvious signs of abuse coming from the boy. His gut feeling told him, however, that this was from his previous family. _**I**__**'**__**ll **__**wring **__**Petunia**__**'**__**s **__**neck,**_ Snape determined, with every intent to kill. How dare he treat Lily's son in such a manner! _**I**__**'**__**ll **__**have **__**a **__**personal **__**talk **__**with **__**her **__**very, **__very __**soon.**_

"Lucas?" Snape asked in a tone so gentle that it even surprised him. "Did I… upset you?" The boy violently shook his head from side to side. The professor frowned. "You can speak to me, Lucas." That only made Lucas shake his head harder. Snape stood and walked around the coffee table, kneeling in front of the boy. He tentatively placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, feeling firsthand just how malnourished Lucas was. "Child, speak to me," Snape urged. With a hiccup, Lucas pointed to his throat and mouthed something that made Snape's heart crack.

"_I can't. Freaks like me aren't supposed to."_


	7. Lullaby

**A/N: **OTL Sorry for the ridiculous wait, guys. Real life had to come and bump all thoughts of fanfiction away. I'm back now though, with longer chapters and more frequent updates! Huzzah.

Did any of you guess from the earlier chapters that he was mute? I'd love your opinion on this.

**Image Song:** Goodbye Lullaby by Avril Lavigne. I adore this album, almost to the point to where I was going to buy the whole thing. I also want to buy the music book for piano so I can learn how to play them all. As if I don't have enough going on at the moment.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP, TRC, or the Image Song. I only own Iris. =)

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><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Movement VII –Lullaby**

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><p><em>Of all the things I've believed in<em>

_I just want to get it over with_

_Tears form behind my eyes_

_But I do not cry_

_Counting the days that pass me by_

_~Goodbye Lullaby_

Snape's grip increased on the boy's shoulders. Lucas didn't deserve this… no one did. "I'll **kill** Petunia," he hissed, standing up in one swift motion. When he turned, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Snape glared down at the malnourished boy. "Let me go, Lucas." The boy shook his head. He reached out a tiny arm to grab a piece of paper and a pen from the nearby coffee table.

_Don't_, the boy wrote._ How do you know my Aunt Petunia?_

The professor sneered. "We grew up not too far from each other. I was a childhood friend of your mother."

At that, Lucas pointed to the picture of Lily on the fireplace's mantle and mouthed, "You knew Mama?"

The beginnings of a smile formed on Snape's lips. "I did. However, I had the unfortunate luck to know your father as well."

Harry frowned and wrote, _Was he really an alcoholic?_

Snape had to stop and stare for a moment. "Where on earth did you get that idea?" he asked, shock coating his usually cold tone. He admitted that he didn't particularly like James—okay, not at all—but he wouldn't reduce the image of the man to a clobbered drunk.

_That's what Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia taught me. They say that's how I got this scar_. Lucas pointed to his fringe where the infamous scar was hidden. _But I don't believe them at all! Neither does my Mommy._

An eyebrow was raised. "Your mother knew of this?" A nod. "Does she know you're a wizard?" Another nod, more hesitant. "Is she a witch?" Lucas took a step back but made no other move. The Snape Glare intensified.

"Harry Potter," Snape continued in a low voice, "I need to know this for your safety."

Lucas continued to back up, shaking his head from side to side with each step. _**I can't let Mommy's secret be revealed yet! **_the boy thought frantically. _**I don't want to disappoint her like I did Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.**_ What other reason would his blood relatives have for kicking him out like they did? Burning the ham was just the last straw to fall onto the camel's back, or so Lucas thought.

Snape sighed. Great, another mystery to be solved. So much for one matter at a time. "Potter." At the lack of response, he knelt down on one knee in front of a boy. "Lucas." The brat raised his gaze hesitantly. "I need to check if this is a dark witch."

Another refusal. _**I know Mommy's not dark… I'm staying with her; isn't that enough?**_

Snape reached for his wand. "I do not wish to use force, Lucas, but I shall if I must." He pointed it at the boy. "_Legi—"_

A sharp blow to the back of the wizard's head sent him crashing to the floor. Lucas shrieked as the professor fell. Horrified eyes turned to see a tall, dark man dressed in a leather jacket and jeans. "Kid, are you all right?" the dark man's gruff voice echoed through the apartment.

All Lucas could do was throw himself at the tall man, wrapping his thin arms around his waist. Even though people found him scary, he was trustworthy. Wet emerald eyes glanced over at the fallen form of Severus Snape. He wasn't too sure he could trust him… yet. Lucas' gut told him that he could, but trust was more fragile than he originally realized.

Lucas heard a muttered, "Where is the damn mage. I'm not good at this comfort-crap," from somewhere above, but the sound was muddled by his racing thoughts. _**He tried to use a **__legilimens __**against me, didn't he! Mommy warned me about this. Why didn't I listen to her? **_He trembled at the thought, clutching closer to the warrior.

"Kuro-puu, I heard a scream and—oh, what happened?" Fai asked as he walked back into the apartment. Once he saw the tiny boy clinging to the dark man's legs, Fai's expression softened. "Kurogane…"

The ninja rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah." He hauled the boy over his shoulder as if the kid were a sack of rice. "You're going to bed, kid." Kurogane turned his red gaze to the blonde. "And you?"

The more limber of the two pointed to the passed out wizard on the floor. "I'll take him to her room."

"Would she appreciate coming home to that?" Kurogane muttered as he walked into the hallway connecting the living area to the bedrooms.

Meanwhile, Fai pointed a finger at Snape and whispered a spell. Purple runes flowed from his hand and wrapped around the professor. The blonde floated Snape into the nearest room and placed him atop the sheets to rest. The normally jovial expression turned serious as he ended his spell with a snap of his fingers. He sat down next to the bed and sighed.

"We've done all we can. It's up to you now."

* * *

><p>"Hush little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird…" Severus blinked his eyes open to the soft words, the melody ringing through the area. He found himself in a room of white. The only other things there were a figure in white and Lucas. The boy was cradled in the woman's—he assumed that from the voice—arms. "If the mockingbird don't sing… Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring."<p>

"But Mama," Lucas whispered, staring up at the hooded figure. He didn't seem to notice that the professor was in the room with them. "I don't need any of that!"

"What do you need then, my little one?" the melodic voice asked. Severus equated the voice to ringing bells.

"All I want for Christmas is a Mommy and Daddy who will love me! Is that so hard to ask?" Lucas inquired in all of his childish innocence.

The woman giggled before lifting her head to stare directly at Severus. The man froze at the emerald gaze. Although she was speaking to Lucas, she kept her gaze locked with the man. "Little one, that all depends on two factors… one of which managed to slip into your dream. It's time for me to go."

_**Go? Go where? A dream? How is this…**_ Snape began to think, before he felt something tugging him backwards. He screamed as he was pulled into blackness.

"I see that you're awake," came a voice from Snape's left. The man blinked his eyes open and found himself in a darkened room. "I suggest you remain in this bed. I was advised that a Body Bind would be the best option for you, but I'll hear your side of the story before I do anything." The wizard rolled his head to the left to see hard cerulean eyes glaring at him.

Fai leaned back in his chair, continuing to glower at the guest. "You attempted some illegal mind magic back there. I suppose you have your reasons, but I've learned that it's better not to pry in strangers' business if you have no reason to."

Snape took a deep breath, leaning back while closing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"About seven in the morning. Kuro-puu did quite a number on you. Imagine what would have happened if he had used his blade! Lucas wouldn't be too happy about it. Neither would his mother."

"Who **is** his mother?" Snape asked without thinking.

"Lucas? Fai? I'm home!" came a familiar voice from outside the door.

Fai stood up, the legs of his chair scraping against the floor. "I'll let you find that out for yourself." He walked out shouting, "Welcome home! We have a guest in your room!"

Whose room was it? Snape opened his eyes and waited for them to adjust to the low light before looking around. The bedroom was sparsely furnished with only a bed and a dresser. Many pieces of paper were strewn across the floor littered with dots and lines. _**Sheet music? Is his mother a musician too?**_ the wizard thought to himself.

Snape heard the creaking of the door. "Mister Lawrence, you have some explaining to do." Severus snapped his eyes open as soon as the light in the room came on. A young woman wearing a white nurse's uniform stood at the foot of his bed, a wry smile upon her mien. Blood was splattered all across the uniform, some of it still fresh. The woman didn't seem to mind it though. Her long black hair was pulled into a pony tail, and sadness pooled in her dark brown eyes. She walked over to the bed, settling down in the chair which Fai had just vacated. The woman waved her hand, and Snape found himself immobilized.

"Now, Severus Snape," Iris whispered, "I'll only answer your questions if you answer mine. And judging by your current… condition, I'll be the one asking first."


	8. Secrets

**A/N: **I've had this chapter prewritten for a while (meaning that it's undergone a ton of revisions), but I wasn't expecting it to be out this soon. To be honest, this is the first fic that I haven't **completely** planned out, so I guess this should be expected? I don't know. xD

Lotsa dialogue. I'll probably get picky about this and fix it later, but sometimes you can't avoid all of the talking… especially when you have four people meeting in a scene.

**Image Song:** Secrets by One Republic. This is one of my all time favorite songs for both its sound and meaning; whoooo, cellos.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP, TRC, or the Image Song. I only own Iris. =)

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><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Movement VIII – Secrets**

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><p><em>Oh, got no reason, got no shame<em>

_Got no family I can blame_

_Just don't let me disappear_

_I'mma tell you everything_

_~Secrets_

"Professor Snape… Do you believe in reincarnations?" Iris began softly, keeping his gaze. To be honest, Severus didn't know what to believe anymore. Before he could answer, Iris laughed. This wasn't one of the ones he usually heard from the woman, oh no. This was similar to ringing a broken bell. It matched the wry smile plastered on her face.

_**Don't smile like that at me, **_Snape thought, closing his eyes. _**Stop reminding me of—**_

"Don't finish that thought of yours," was the sudden command from his bedside. Snape snapped his eyes open to stare into hard brown eyes. "I refuse to abide by that request. You know what? Forget it. I'm not ready to put up with you yet." It was then that she broke the eye contact between them, leaving a bitter feeling in Snape's chest. "_Finite incantatem_." Another woosh of familiar magic washed over the man, releasing him from the Body Bind.

He grabbed Iris' hand as she stood up, their magic sparking at the contact. Still she refused to look at him. Iris kept her gaze set on the door, and Snape glared as he caught the beginning of tears pooling at the edge of the woman's eyes.

"Iris, who **are** you? Why… from what do you need to hide?"

The woman placed her free hand on her face as more of those ironic laughs forced themselves from her lungs. She tossed her head in the direction of the front door. "That," Iris put simply.

The doorbell rang.

Iris tore her arm from his grip and brought the appendage to her chest. She still refused to look his way. "They'll want to talk to you. I need to change, anyway. Go on."

Snape couldn't argue that. "We're not done here," he snarled, stalking out of the bedroom.

The nurse slowly made her way over to the door and closed it with a soft 'click.' She pressed her back to the wood as he head fell forward. It was then that the tears began to flow. Iris' body shook as she slid down the door onto the floor. "You haven't changed at all, have you, Severus…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>How did she know that the door bell would ring? Is she a seer?<strong>_ Severus thought to himself as he made his way out of the room to the entrance of the apartment. The mage from earlier was nowhere to be found; perhaps he'd gone back to his own place. The only way the professor would know who kept on making that incessant knocking was if he opened the door himself.

He wasn't expecting to see McGonagall and Dumbledore standing there. The former breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Merlin that you're safe, Severus. When you didn't return last night from your… errand, we thought that you were captured," McGonagall said in a flurry.

Severus crossed his arms. "As you can plainly see, I am fine."

"You cannot blame us from worrying!" the elderly woman shot back.

It was then that the Potion's Master realized something. "How did you know that I was here?" Severus inquired.

"We received a notice from the person living here," Dumbledore finally spoke up. "May we enter?"

Without another word Snape stood to one side, allowing the other Hogwarts staff members into the apartment. Part of him felt that this wasn't right, bringing his associates into Iris' home like this. However, as soon as he thought that, the familiar magic washed over him again. The warmth calmed his nerves, even if only a little bit. _**Maybe I'll finally get some answers, **_Severus hissed internally as he sat across from the Transfiguration Professor and the Headmaster.

Soft footsteps echoed from the next room. All three turned to see Iris dressed in a medieval robe, its angel-wing sleeves nearly reaching the ground due to her short stature. The soft pastel pink of the material contrasted with her tanned skin and dark hair. Her hair was pulled back into a series of braids which spilled over narrow shoulders. No expression sat on Iris' face, and that irked Severus.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall," Iris whispered, curtsying. She padded over to the last remaining seat next to Snape. "May I?" the young woman required, gesturing with a hand to the empty space. At a curt nod, she sat herself down with a grace Severus had never seen her exhibit. Granted, he only met with her a few times, but it was almost as if this Iris was different. She sat with her back straight hand hands folded perfectly across her lap.

The silence was broken by Dumbledore. "It has been quite some time since you've contacted us, Iris." The infernal sparkle returned to the wizard's blue eyes along with a smile.

The smile was returned, but Severus knew it wasn't entirely natural. Perhaps if he didn't have his suspicions about the girl, he would have thought differently. Iris was good at what she did, too comfortable with this charade for her own good. She was far too young. _**Weren't you told the same thing when you were her age?**_ Severus reminded himself. _**And you had the exact same reaction.**_

"As much as I enjoy your company, sir, there hasn't been a recent need," Iris answered in a formal tone. "Should we not be thankful?" Obsidian eyes glanced at her folded hands. The one on top was gripping the bottom slightly tighter than normal, as if she was holding something back.

Dumbledore's expression dropped. "We in Britain are in need of your services again."

Iris' features also hardened. "I will need the proper payment, sir." At the question on the others' faces, the nurse laughed. "Trust me, the price is not quite so high. I merely have a few friends in need of some magical training, but I don't have the time to do it myself." The woman ran a hand through some wayward strands of hair as she sighed. "Many of us have moved on from the first war."

She was most likely talking about Fai and his companions. Severus reached a hand to the back of his head in curiosity and came across a large lump. A touch caused the normally stoic man to wince; whoever had struck him down earlier had done quite a number.

"Do you have a specific instructor picked?" the Headmaster inquired.

A shift on the couch brought Severus' attention back to the girl. "I was going to ask you at another time and place, Professor Snape… You seem to get along with Fai pretty well," Iris explained, keeping her gaze with the man.

"You used the plural. Is there one other?" Snape asked.

A sheepish grin. "Two, actually. It's not that you need to teach them much, though. Just a bit about Potions and Defense so that they can get around in our world easily enough. From my research, you're the best choice from Hogwarts. That **is**, sir… if you're up to the task. I won't force you into something if you don't want to—"

"I'll do it," Snape replied without a moment's hesitation. He'd be able to find out more about Iris and Lucas if he was in more contact with them.

Iris blinked. Was she really that surprised? "A-are you sure, sir?" Snape nodded, causing a genuine smile to bloom on the girl's face. "Awesome! Thanks, professor!" Iris turned her head back to her other guests. "Would you like to rest before you apparate back to England? Perhaps some tea…"

McGonagall stood, saying, "We have a timed portkey set to go off in about five minutes, but thank you for extending the offer, Miss Kimura." Iris nodded and pushed herself off the couch, gently excusing herself as she led the other woman to the door. As he caught Iris' gaze, Snape could have sworn there was a flash of concern.

Ah, Dumbledore. Snape prepared himself for the inevitable confrontation with the man in front of him. Gone was the sparkle in the old man's eyes as well as the smile on his face. Here he portrayed the countenance of a man who had seen far too much. "Beware of that girl, Severus," Dumbledore began in a low tone. "She is not who he seems."

That caused Snape to snort. "Tell me something I **don't** know, Albus. What did you mean by 'need your services?' Have you used the girl before?"

"Don't grow close to her. You'll hurt yourself in the end, as you did with Lily." Snape opened his mouth to retort at the mention of the redhead's name, but a raised wrinkled hand stopped him. "I saw the way you looked at her. It would be best if you heeded my warning." The Potion's Master could only blink and wonder what Dumbledore really meant by those words as the Headmaster followed McGonagall out. He eventually came to stand next to Iris at the doorway.

Once Iris had closed the door, a glare appeared on her features. Her hand lingered on the doorknob and trembled. "You **bastard**," Iris snarled at the closed door. "I refuse to be used as another one of your puppets." When she let go, the blanket that had soothed Snape earlier evaporated away.

_**Wards.**_ They were the only explanation, but why? Wards that powerful needed an equally powerful source of magic. Thankfully Snape was there to catch Iris as she swooned suddenly.

"Ugh, sorry," Iris groaned as she placed one of her hands on her forehead. A small sheen of sweat accumulated there. "I couldn't allow them to find Lucas so soon. He's not ready."

Snape scoffed. "Neither are you."

"You were always blunt. That's what I liked about you." The way Iris talked about Severus was really beginning to bother him. "Hey, professor?" Iris asked.

"Hay is for horses," the man deadpanned.

"Touché. I just need some help getting to the couch. I'll start explaining things from there," Iris replied, nodding to the sitting area. She looped her right arm around his shoulders, and together they walked. Snape couldn't help but notice how light the girl was.

"_Why are you so light, Lily?" a young Severus once asked as he offered a hand to the girl sitting underneath the largest cherry blossom tree on the Hogwarts grounds._

_Lily Evans shrugged and took the hand, pulling herself up. "I dunno. At least I'm not fat!" She turned to the pile of books next to her sitting place. "I think I'll need to build up some muscle to carry all of this around. Charms is such an interesting subject, don't you think, Severus?"_

"_You won't be carrying these books alone," the boy answered._

"I think I'll need to build up some more muscle." The sentence brought Snape out of his memories back to Iris' New York apartment. "I can't always rely on having someone there to bail me out of a tough hole, you know?" Iris concluded. She flashed a thankful grin at the man as she was settled on a seat. "So… where do you want me to start?" Her posture was much less rigid than it just was with the other two. Iris slouched forward just slightly, and she linked her hands together.

"From the beginning."

"Ha ha, very funny," Iris commented with a roll of her eyes. "I guess I'll start with—"

This time, a shriek cut her off.

Panicked brown irises caught Snape's. "Professor, it's Lucas. I'll just go and wake him up." Bad choice. As soon as Iris began to stand, she fell right into Snape's grip. The man ignored the squeak as he slipped his free arm beneath her legs in order to hold her bridal-style. It was better than having her hanging off of him. "… down the opposite hall from mine," Iris said in defeat.

The trip was not a long one. Another shout caused a shiver to go down both Iris' and Snape's spines. Iris turned to the professor. "Once I unravel these wards, you'll need to go into Lucas' dream using _legilimency_. I usually do this myself, but I didn't realize I had used so much energy just preventing Dumbledore from finding Lucas."

"Lucas…" Snape began, thinking back to the previous night.

"Will be just fine," Iris finished. "Apologize, be gentle. Children's minds are fickle. Just don't make the same mistake twice."

His eyes widened, but before he was able to reply, Iris already placed a flat palm on the seemingly harmless wooden door. An unearthly glow encompassed her hand and spread like a spider's web across the wood. A shatter of the wards was followed by a sudden weight in Snape's arms. Looking down, he saw Iris completely passed out.

"**Wonderful**," Snape drawled as he placed his hand on the door and shoved it open.


	9. Wings of Dreams

**Update as of 3-9-12:** I've rewritten the second half of this chapter from when it was first posted. Hope this makes everything a little clearer!

**A/N: **I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for their constant support! =)

From this point on, this will **officially** be a crossover with Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. That means that the focus of the story will draw away from Iris and focus upon the TRC characters as well as Lucas/Harry and Severus. You guys know enough about Iris for now, lol.

**Image Song:** Yume no Tsubasa from the Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle soundtrack. For all of those who followed the anime (or still do, like me) it's the song in Hanshin Country.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP, TRC, or the Image Song. I only own Iris. =)

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><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Movement IX – Wings of Dreams**

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><p><em>Time goes by,<br>Even though time passes, there are things that never change.  
>Because I can't reach it, because I want to find it,<br>I go to search for the wings of dreams,  
>Stay by my side, forever...<em>

_~Yume no Tsubasa (English Translation)_

The first thing Snape did was place Iris on a pile of cushions in a nearby corner. A part of him felt bad just leaving her there, but as she previously mentioned, Lucas was the primary concern. His arms lingered around her for just a moment before he pulled back. _**One thing at a time, Severus,**_ he thought to himself as he glanced over at the queen-sized bed in the center of the room. The professor took a deep breath as he walked over to the bedside.

Lucas was drenched in sweat. His skin shared the color of ashen snow, like the type piled on New York City's sidewalks. He thrashed about on the bed, though his arms and legs were held down by white tendrils of light. _**More wards… they're not quite as powerful as those used on the door. **_Snape spared a glance at the exhausted girl atop the pillows in the corner. _**How did she build up such magical endurance? She's unconscious, and yet her magic still lingers.**_

Professor Snape whipped out his wand with an uttered, "_Finite incantatem!_" He wasn't expecting a punch in the face from the boy's flailing limbs. Cursing beneath his breath, Snape held the boy's arms down with one arm and legs with the other. "What a compromising position," he muttered as he pressed his forehead to the boy's. It was said that the third eye rested in the center of the forehead, and this is where mind magic worked the best. "Let's get this over with. _Legilimens_!"

The normally confident man landed with a thud inside Lucas' dream. He fell flat upon his face on what seemed to be the floor. Instead of being some solid material, wisps of shadow gathered beneath him. Snape groaned as he pushed himself off of the ground. The rest of the area looked to be created of the same material. _**You need to remember that this is the mind of a child, but why does such a darkness exist? Is it due to the Dark Lord's influence when he was a toddler?**_

Influence was putting it lightly, and Snape knew that quite well. Even the professor could remember the horrible All Hallow's Eve when the Potters were killed. It was like he was standing outside the house the moments after the Dark Lord had disappeared. As if answering Snape's morbid thoughts, Godric's Hallow formed in front of him. Obsidian eyes narrowed dangerously once the building completely appeared.

A familiar baby's cries coerced Snape to walk into the house. As expected, it was left just as it was on that stormy night. The lights flickered on and off, and the wind rattled the foundation. Against his better judgment, the professor entered the household. A shiver ran down his spine as he caught sight of a broken body lying atop the first flight of stairs.

As much as he despised James Potter, he never wished death on his archenemy. In fact Snape deep down wished that they could have made a truce with each other, for Lily's sake. Too bad all of those warm feelings were for naught. Snape carefully stepped over James and his unseeing eyes as he made his way to the last bedroom on the right. He could never admit that it was Potter's son who lived there, not his own. Thinking of Harry as Lily's child wasn't so bad, but the fact that Harry shared James' last name…

"Mama!"

No, it couldn't be.

"Mama, where are you?"

Harry was far too young to remember this, right? Then again, near death experiences were among the hardest to forget. Snape's heart cracked again. How exactly was Harry able to sneak through the cracks in the fortress protecting his heart? It was ironic in a sense, because Lily was the one who made him build up his walls in the first place.

Lily's body was nowhere to be found. Only a young Harry Potter sat in the middle of the floor, weeping. The child made no startled movement as Snape walked into the room. The professor knelt down next to Harry on one knee, placing one of his hands on the boy's tiny head. "Your mother is sleeping for a very long time, child," Snape whispered, the words feeling foreign in his mouth. Although he comforted many of his own snakes, he never had to deal with such a close death before. Even Snape himself wasn't fully healed from the loss.

"Mama said she'd never leave me!" the toddler whined, turning watery green eyes up to meet Snape's gaze. "She lied!"

Snape shook his head. "No, child. She's still with you, even now."

"But I can't see her!"

"That does not mean that she isn't here with us now," Snape insisted. "She's… she's an angel now, watching over you. Do you think she wants you to cry?"

Harry bit his bottom lip. "Nuh uh. Mama said that crying is bad! I'm so sad, mister, but I don't wanna make Mama sad. You're cryin' too!"

At this, Snape gathered the two-year-old into his arms. Even if he had never done this before, something felt… right about how the boy cuddled into his shoulder and his arms came around to secure the boy in place. Even at such a young age, Harry was just as perceptive as his mother. Snape didn't even notice the faint tears streaking down his face. "I may be," Snape replied, "however, your mother is more concerned about you."

"Mama cares 'bout everyone," was the murmur into his shoulder. "So you shouldn't cry either."

"I will make you a deal, Mr. Potter."

"Lucas!"

Snape blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Mama named me Lucas!" the boy exclaimed as he leaned back in Snape's grip. At least the crocodile tears were beginning to fade away. "Daddy kept callin' me Harry even when Mama said no."

"Well then, **Lucas**," the professor continued, placing special emphasis on the boy's real name, "if you cease your weeping, I will as well."

"Promise?" Lucas said with a grin, wrapping his tiny arms around Snape's neck.

"I promise."

* * *

><p>Syaoran had a penchant for walking in on awkward situations. Fai and Kurogane, nevertheless, <strong>insisted<strong> that the youngest party member check how everything was in Iris' bedroom. The three of them decided to spend the day in apartment 808 after Iris had a talk with Fai. At this point Kurogane was checking up on something in their own apartment while Fai cooked. After all, it was about noon.

"Why me," the brunette groaned as he opened the door. Silence initially greeted him, but Syaoran could feel the residue of the wards layered about the room. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he was blessed with a sight that made him smile.

Iris sat next to the bed, one of her hands absentmindedly running through Lucas' hair. Professor Snape slept next to the boy, an arm wrapped protectively around the boy's middle. Lucas, in turn, gripped the man's arm tight. At Syaoran's entrance, Iris turned to the boy.

"Oh, Syaoran!" she whispered, a sad smile apparent on her mien. "How are you?"

"What's wrong, Iris?" the young man asked from his position at the door. "Your eyes…" Her smile was the least of the differences. The normally solid brown eyes flashed green, and the slight tremble in her hands told Syaoran it wasn't from the cold.

"_Kaze no machi wa watashinoie ni yonde iru_. The clock is moving forward," Iris commented, pulling away from the two. She gestured to the living room as she stood up. "Let's allow them to sleep. Merlin knows they need it." Her gaze lingered upon the sleeping pair before she turned away to the door.

"Who are they to you?" Syaoran blurted, hands flying to his mouth to cover it.

"Depends on whom you are asking," Iris replied with a flat tone. "Lily or Hana?"

The brunette narrowed his eyes as he took his hands away from his mouth. "I'm asking **you**, Iris."

The woman took a step back, eyes wide. "Syaoran…"

"You have your own existence, Iris! You're your own person; you weren't created like Shaoran was. You didn't take anyone's place when time reversed like Watanuki." The younger one bristled. "Don't you understand you'll be missed when you leave?"

Her face remained unreadable as she took one of his hands in hers. Syaoran flinched; her hand was too white, her touch too cold. It was then the boy noticed the wrinkles and eye bags usually hidden with makeup. Their closeness allowed the boy to see how haphazardly her usually tamed hair settled about her head. Iris took advantage of his shock and pulled him out of the room, closing the door with a soft click. She led the boy into the main room of the loft and was soon joined by the blonde, who had just finished making lunch for everyone.

"It's time, Fai," Iris announced, raising her eyes to meet those of the foreign wizard. "Open my guitar, will you?" A guitar case sat in the far corner of the living room, its buckles gleaming ominously.

Syaoran stood with a start. "But you'll just lose more of your magic if you do that!"

"It's all right, Syaoran. Those two deserve happiness, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure they remain that way. A new Dark Lord is rising in the midst of Voldemort, and it'll be over my dead body that he rises to the same level as that snake-faced bastard." Something glinted in Iris' eyes as she said that, causing Syaoran to shiver again. "Professor Snape has taken up the task of teaching you. I expect that you don't squander the opportunity."

Fai's countenance took on the same stony mask as Iris' as he nodded. Despite Syaoran's protests, he knelt down and retrieved the acoustic instrument. "There's no need to prolong the inevitable," Fai stated with his back to the other two. He turned then, staring at the boy. "Syaoran, we need to leave. Don't worry about Mokona and go get Kurogane."

"Wha—go where?"

"Leave **now**, Syaoran." The brunette reeled back at the biting coldness in Iris' voice. "You need not get yourself involved any more than you already are." Wisps of magic accompanied the words. They wrapped around Syaoran as blinding white runes. A flick of Iris' wrist drew Syaoran to the door against his will and forced him out. Once she was assured that the boy wouldn't be able to return without the dark warrior in tow, she shifted her attention to Fai. "Are you ready?"

The blonde twisted his mouth as he sat down next to the sorceress. "To be frank, no. None of us are." He sat still as the girl pressed a kiss to his forehead. He had heard stories of a kiss so frigid that sent people to death. In this world there were kisses that stole convicts' souls, or so that's what Professor Snape said. As chilling as Iris' kiss was, Fai could feel a hint of hidden warmth behind it.

"Thank you, Fai." The tanned one rested her palms above the man's heart. "You need to remember that your kindheartedness is not your weakness. It is your greatest strength." A warm glow enveloped her joined hands, causing Fai to close his eyes. He could feel Iris' warm magic wash over him at the simple action. "Thank you for understanding."

"And if they wake up?" Fai replied, hands hovering over the silver clasps.

"Open the case, Fai." The order was simple and left no room for argument.

He did, ancient magic spilling from within. The surge was so strong that it threw the blonde to the other side of the room. He landed with a resounding thud. Fai tried to push himself off the floor to reach her, but magic far older than his own kept him in place.

"I think it'd be best if they did," Iris whispered as she picked up the guitar. "They'll get their answers that way."


	10. Iris

**PLEASE NOTE: **I rewrote the second half of the previous chapter. Please reread it before this one!

**A/N: **I can't believe we've gotten to this point already, the end of the first arc! Like the previous chapter, it's been written over and over, and I'm **finally** happy with it!

I realize that Snape is… nicer than usual, but think about it. He hasn't had the seven years to grow his hate at Harry/Lucas. I have other stories that take place farther in canon, an example being If Only You Knew. If you're looking for mean(er)!Snape but don't want to lose the mentoring relationship I'm building up here, that's the story to read!

**For all who have read/watched The Hunger Games: **Keep an eye out for my newest story, Eyes Open which follows HG but is set in the HP universe. =)

**Image Song:** We've got two here today. The first is Yellow, one of Iris' image songs from the Vocaloid series. The second is what Iris sings, and it's her namesake by the Goo Goo Dolls. Come to think of it, that's the song that started this whole mess.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP, TRC, or the Image Songs. I only own Iris and Hana. =)

* * *

><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Movement X – Iris**

* * *

><p><em>For the sake of returning your smile<em>

_For many times, I won't stop singing_

_Even beyond how many nights,_

_This wish shall come true until one day_

_~Yellow (English Translation)_

The clock was moving again, and there was nothing that Iris could do about it.

"Who are they to you?" Syaoran blurted, hands flying to his mouth to cover it. Iris resisted the urge to sigh. She knew the question would come up, but she had hoped it would come later rather than sooner.

It took the woman a few minutes to find the right words. "Depends on whom you are asking," Iris replied with a flat tone. "Lily or Hana?"

"I'm asking **you**, Iris."

In response, Iris took a step back. Her eyes widened in shock; she wasn't expecting an answer so quickly. "Syaoran…" she began, but was cut off by the boy.

"You have your own existence, Iris! You're your own person; you weren't created like Shaoran was. You didn't take anyone's place when time reversed like Watanuki." Iris noted the way the boy bristled and inwardly congratulated him. He'd learned how to suppress his anger in situations like this, and for that she was infinitely grateful. "Don't you understand you'll be missed when you leave?"

She did understand, but there was nary a thing she could do about it.

Iris steeled herself and took one of his hands in hers. The flinch told her that her touch was too frozen at this point for her to do anything about it. Iris tried not to look away when Syaoran's eyes scanned her face. She did, however, take advantage of his momentary shock. Iris led Syaoran slowly into the living room and was soon joined by Fai.

"It's time, Fai," Iris announced, raising her eyes to meet those of the foreign wizard. "Open my guitar, will you?" She refused to look at the sealed instrument lying against the far wall of the room.

Syaoran stood with a start. "But you'll just lose more of your magic if you do that!"

Iris had accepted that fact a long, long time ago. "It's all right, Syaoran. Those two deserve happiness, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure they remain that way. A new Dark Lord is rising in the midst of Voldemort, and it'll be over my dead body that he rises to the same level as that snake-faced bastard." The hate gleaming in her eyes caused Syaoran to shiver again. Iris quickly changed the subject. "Professor Snape has taken up the task of teaching you. I expect that you don't squander the opportunity."

Fai nodded to her, making his own face unreadable as he nodded his assent. _**The time has finally come for me to make my decision, **_Iris thought as Fai knelt down to pick up the instrument. "There's no need to prolong the inevitable," Fai stated. He turned then, staring at the boy. "Syaoran, we need to leave. Don't worry about Mokona and go get Kurogane."

"Wha—go where?"

"Leave **now,** Syaoran." Iris made sure her voice could freeze hell over. She needed to get him out of here. "You need not get yourself involved any more than you already are." Wisps of magic accompanied the words. They wrapped around Syaoran as blinding white runes. A flick of Iris' wrist drew Syaoran to the door against his will and forced him out. Once she was assured that the boy wouldn't be able to return without the dark warrior in tow, she shifted her attention to Fai. "Are you ready?"

Her heart clenched when Fai's mouth warped. Even though they both knew this was inevitable, the fact didn't stop them from hurting. "To be frank, no. None of us are," Fai finally managed to say after a few terse moments of silence. Before she realized what she was doing, Iris was leaning forward to press a kiss to Fai's forehead. She poured her remaining magic into the spell and hoped with all of her heart that someday he would understand the ancient magic she placed within him now. She could feel the rest of her _Glamours _fading and fading quick.

"Thank you, Fai." Iris moved her palms above the man's heart. "You need to remember that your kindheartedness is not your weakness. It is your greatest strength." With that she completed the spell, a warm glow enveloping her joined hands. "Thank you for understanding." He was the only one who could, which was both unfortunate and fortunate. Iris wished that no one else had to put on a mask as complicated as hers, but Fai had. And that satisfied the tiny part of the girl who wanted someone to talk to, to understand that not everything was rainbows and butterflies.

"And if they wake up?" Fai replied, hands hovering over the silver clasps.

"Open the case, Fai."

He did, ancient magic spilling from within. The surge was so strong that it threw the blonde to the other side of the room. He landed with a resounding thud. Fai tried to push himself off the floor to reach her, but magic far older than his own kept him in place.

"I think it'd be best if they did," Iris whispered as she picked up the guitar. "They'll get their answers that way." She bit her lip as the guitar's ancient magic clashed with her own. "Now, now, no need to be so excited," the woman continued, taking a seat on the couch. Her left hand twisted the tuning rods on the end of the guitar. "Have to change five of your six strings to drop D before playing this one. There we go."

Taking a deep breath, Iris began to sing.

"And I'd give up forever to touch you,

'Cause I know that you feel me somehow.

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,

And I don't want to go home right now."

Home… how much Iris missed it. The city of wind was calling her home, but Iris couldn't return without letting everyone know how she truly felt. Even as her magic drained away with her life, Iris couldn't help but smile. If she needed to sacrifice her own happiness to ensure the others', so be it. Of course the others wouldn't agree with her, and that's why Iris only told Fai of her intentions. Kurogane would slap her over the head and Syaoran would be bumbling around for the words to say.

It had taken quite some time for her to make this choice, but at least Iris knew what truly knew what it felt like to be happy, to care and be cared for in return. In the end, at least to her, that's all that mattered.

"And all I can taste is this moment,

And All I can breathe is your life.

'Cause sooner or later it's over

I just don't want to miss you tonight."

Iris had crossed the line she had drawn for herself a long time ago, and she would make others suffer because of it. She cursed her selfishness and her desire to dream. But wasn't dreaming human nature? Instead of confusing herself, Iris focused upon the happiness she experienced with the others to fuel her Melody.

As temporary as that happiness was, Iris appreciated every second of it. She thought of the books read with Syaoran, the arguments with Kurogane, the music lessons with Fai… The sides of her mouth twitched upwards when she reminisced about the times spent with Lucas and, yes, even Severus. Though tears also accompanied the laughter, Iris accepted that. That's what it was like to live.

"And I don't want the world to see me,

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am."

Usually, no one understood the reasons behind Iris' decisions. This was a definite fact in her past lives as Lily and Hana. This life was different, though. Fai understood. Lucas probably would have if she'd given him a chance, but he was far too young to deal with adult problems. As for Snape… well, she didn't predict his appearance at all.

She figured it was _hitsuzen _biting her in the ass when she walked into the café a week ago. Iris had figured something would happen due to the intensity of the Northeastern winds, but for fate to thrust him at her during such an inopportune time… It was cruel. Iris didn't know how to react back then. So what did she do? She invited him to sit next to her. _**What a smart move **_**that **_**was**_, Iris thought as she strummed the instrumental following the first chorus. _**The nicknames didn't help my case any.**_ Silly was something Lily called him. Sourpuss is what Hana thought of him. Although Iris herself hadn't met Snape prior to that first meeting at the Cat's Eye, she had used both of those names.

Initially Iris didn't know what made her grab Snape and pull him in next to her. It was a bold move, one Iris was sure would hurt her in the end, but to her surprise the wizard replied to her normally. At that moment Iris knew she had a chance in this life to right all the wrongs Lily and Hana had committed. She wanted to cry in relief, but she had to hold back in order not to raise suspicion.

"And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming,

Or the moment of truth in your lies.

When everything feels like the movies,

You bleed just to know you're alive."

When the Dark Mark had activated that night, it was Hana's knowledge that made Iris pry his right hand away from the cursed tattoo. Soothing the pain took more magic out of her than originally planned, as she needed to ebb it away slowly enough so that Snape didn't notice. Thankfully he was engrossed enough in Lucas' song that Iris' mission was a success.

The spark of magic that occurred when they brushed past each other surprised Iris, too. She managed to escape before Snape asked any questions. "Idiot," Iris had told herself, "don't get involved. Don't fall again." Those were empty words. The feelings for him were inevitable. Lily had fallen for Snape when he was a boy, and Hana admired him as a young adult. What did that leave for Iris?

It was a few days before she saw him again. This gave Iris a few days to recover from the previous encounter and sort out her feelings. Knowing that she would see him again, she carried her gift for Snape around with her all of the time. Of **course**, he needed to show up on the worst day of the week. Iris had classes from nine until four, a three hour break, and then work at seven if she was scheduled that day. To her dismay Snape heard her whole rant about the current healthcare system.

Iris could definitely remember the temporary shock that crossed his face when she shoved the cell phone at him. She dully wondered if he still had the machine as she continued to play. Iris couldn't help but smile slightly at his gratitude; she didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know that saying 'thank you' was difficult for Snape. The Potions professor probably didn't have much to be grateful for, considering what she remembered from being Lily and Hana.

"And I don't want the world to see me,

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am."

And then, of course, Murphy's third law had to come in: anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Dumbledore had to take her one moment of happiness and crush it into dust when he called her. Coupled with the stress from the day up to that point, Iris blew up over the phone. When she realized just what she had done, Iris had clutched at her head and pretended to disappear. It was Fai who brought her out of her temporary slump with a hand on her shoulder.

In order to not get anyone else involved, the nurse left without revealing anything to the men. Fai already knew what she was getting into, but if Snape found out, he'd be furious. Even though Iris despised the current Headmaster, Hogwarts was the safest place for both Snape and Lucas. She couldn't compromise that. She **wouldn't** compromise that. The meeting with the Headmaster took longer than expected, and that only added to Iris' exhaustion.

When Iris had heard that Snape had nearly broken into Lucas' mind later that night, Iris couldn't help but seethe silently. As soon as she could, she returned home intending to give the Potions' Master a piece of her mind… figuratively, of course. She found the wizard asleep on her bed.

_"We've done all we can. It's up to you now," Fai said. He raised his head as the door to the loft opened. A few footsteps later, Iris appeared standing behind him._

_"What's this?" Iris asked, an eyebrow raised. "Don't tell me Kurogane…"_

_ "Whacked him upside the head with the hilt of his sword? Why yes, yes he did," Fai answered._

_ Iris pursed her lips. "Judging by the way he's knocked out cold, he won't be awake until early morning."_

_ "What will you do until then?" Fai asked._

_ "As of now, I have no clue. Keep an eye on him for me, will you?" Once Iris received a nod, she walked down the hall opposite from her bedroom. Lucas insisted on getting a room as far away from her as possible. Iris knew Lucas still had nightmares, and that was why he kept to himself more often these days. Even so, she wished he would open up a little more. Whether or not it was possible, she didn't know._

_ She rapped three times on Lucas' door. "Come in," a gruff voice said. Once Iris opened the door, she saw Kurogane taking the same vigil over Lucas as Fai did with the professor. "About time," the _shinobi _muttered._

_ "Sorry, I've had a busy day," Iris said. She padded over and sat down upon the boy's bed. "What happened?"_

_ Kurogane crossed his arms. "I sensed the beginning of a spell, so I arrived as soon as I could. It was the _Legilimens _spell you told us about."_

_ At this, the girl sighed and buried her face in her open palms. "Shit. It wasn't supposed to happen this soon."_

_ "What wasn't?"_

_ Iris looked up at Kurogane. "I only told you about mind magic as a precaution. I didn't figure it would be put to any use." She reached over and placed a hand on Lucas' forehead to trace over the lightning bolt scar. "My time's up, Kurogane. That means it's time to send you off for your… formal training."_

_ The man sat silent._

_ Iris turned to the man with a grin. "I'll take care of it from here, Kurogane. Could you prepare your belongings? In a few hours, I'll get Fai and Severus to teleport you all to Hogwarts."_

_ Kurogane stood and placed a hand on her head. "This isn't goodbye."_

_ Iris shook her head. "Nope. This is a _ja ne_, not a _sayonara_. _Yakusoku da yo. _Now hurry your ass up and get out of here."_

_ A hint of a smile appeared on the warrior's face. "Pfft. Women. You're all the same." Kurogane walked out without another word._

_ "Now let's see what Lily wants to say to you," Iris whispered as she closed her eyes. She placed her fingers on Lucas' temples. "_Legilimens_!"_

Iris so desperately wanted to tell Snape the truth. She just wanted to say, "Fuck it all, I want to live my own life!" But this wasn't her life to live.

_"Iris, who __**are**__ you? Why… from what do you need to hide?"_

She didn't have the heart to tell him that she was dying. In fact, she didn't have to heart to tell any of them that. That's why she kept on pushing everyone away. The more they hated her, the better.

"And I don't want the world to see me,

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am."

Dumbledore was right. She had trod too far past the line she had drawn so long ago, and she was going to pay for it. With a sigh Iris had transfigured her clothes and prepared herself mentally for the confrontation with the old bastard. Snape's scrutinizing gaze was the least of her problems. It was only Iris' self-control that prevented her from **throttling **the Headmaster. By the way the Potions professor focused upon her shaking hands—shaking from rage, mind you—Iris knew she'd be in for some interrogation after McGonagall and Dumbledore departed.

When they came upon the topic of payment for Dumbledore's current wish, Iris was caught by surprise. She quickly shoved her Occulmency shields up for good measure, and then Iris caught Snape's gaze. She managed a sheepish grin and a bit of rambling before the short meeting concluded. Iris led McGonagall outside but couldn't help but overhear the conversation between Dumbledore and Snape.

_"Tell me something I __**don't **__know, Albus."_

So he knew all this time that she was hiding something. _**Here I am underestimating you again, Severus. Haven't I done it enough?**_ Iris thought as she lurked around the corner. She pretended that she had just let the Transfiguration teacher out when the two men came around the corner. Iris had closed the door with a glare and snarled, releasing her wards. She wasn't expecting them to take so much of a toll on her.

"I just want you to know who I am."

Iris had once read that someone who is loved by others is truly blessed… but one who is loved from afar and in secret is even more so. Tears slipped down her face as she closer and closer to the conclusion of the song. Everyone tended to forget that even though she granted wishes, Iris had wishes of her own she wanted to see come to fruition.

_**My only wish… is to find someone who would love me for only me. Not as Lily Evans, not as Hana Ichihara. Just… me.**_

"I just want you to know who I am."

"Hana…"

The nurse snapped her eyes open and ignored the wetness on her cheeks. Snape stood at the entrance of the living room, Lucas clinging onto one of his arms. The adult's expression told her that he wasn't expecting the name to come from his own lips. _**I guess this is it, then, **_Iris thought with a sigh as she released her remaining magic.

Black wings erupted from Iris' black, coating the loft in darkness.

* * *

><p>This was the first time in a very long while that Lucas woke up warm and protected. Ever since he moved to his own room, his nightmares had plagued him a few times a week. Lucas couldn't bring himself to bother his Mommy any more than he already did, and so he usually tried to deal with them himself. When Iris <strong>did<strong> get involved, she ended up cradling him as they both fell into a dreamless sleep.

This time, it wasn't Mommy who was holding him close.

Lucas couldn't remember much from his latest nightmare when it came to actual images. However, he distinctly recalled the protective warmth which wrapped around him now. It reminded him of Mommy's wards, but there was a darkness about them. Lucas blinked; this darkness wasn't the evil he was accustomed to. Iris used to tell him stories about a man she once knew who had a similar aura. Descriptions could only go so far, though, and Lucas found himself yearning to experience that aura in real life.

He didn't expect to find Professor Snape sleeping next to him. _**When did he get there?**_ Lucas thought, not even bothering to roll out of bed. The arm draped across his stomach prevented him from going anywhere, anyway. Lucas took the time to observe the man. Iris told him stories, but again there was only so much storytelling could accomplish. Who knew someone like Snape could look so… **vulnerable** in his sleep? At this angle the boy could easily see the bags sitting beneath the man's eyes. Without the guarded exterior Snape looked like a normal human instead of a wizard with unattainable power.

Lucas' attention was diverted when he heard a familiar melody being played on a guitar. No, this couldn't be happening now. It was too soon, and he wasn't ready yet. The boy tried to get out from under the professor without waking him, but it was to no avail. Seeing the man stir, Lucas gulped. He was so shocked that he didn't bother to feign sleep as Snape awoke.

It was the first time in many years that Snape woke up completely refreshed. Being a spy didn't give him much time to rest, as he was either too busy gathering information or brewing to get a good night's sleep. The scent of lilies in the sheets immediately told him that he definitely wasn't in his quarters back in Hogwarts. His obsidian eyes shot open at that realization, and he soon found himself staring into the emerald eyes of his worst enemy's—and loved one's—son.

Silence was the first to envelop them. It didn't last long though, as the music _crescendoed _and cut through their thoughts. Lucas shook his head to clear it and tugged on the arm around his waist. The touch told Snape that Lucas didn't want him to remove it. Instead, the boy seemed to want to lead him somewhere. The boy used his free arm to point to the doorway. "Mommy's singing," Lucas mouthed. "Hurry, we have to stop her!"

"And I'd give up forever to touch you,

'Cause I know that you feel me somehow.

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,

And I don't want to go home right now."

Snape froze as Iris' voice drifted into the room. From where had he heard this melody before? He allowed Lucas to lead him into the hallway as he combed his mind for the answer. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost ran into the boy. What they saw in front of them caused them to stop and stare.

Iris sat in the middle of the room, cradling the guitar. She looked… different, somehow. Her skin was now the color of the lilies Snape adored so much. Iris wore a long lavender kimono which draped across the floor. The belt was fashioned into a butterfly's wings, evidenced by the patterns splaying across the couch's cushions. Butterfly clips dotted the midnight hair which formed a halo around her form. Tear slipped down her cheeks, unnoticed by the girl.

Why did she look so familiar? Why did his chest ache when she cried? Snape's eyes widened, and he fell to his knees as he was suddenly assaulted by memories.

_"Severus, Lily," a younger Dumbledore said, "I would like to ask you both a favor. I have someone I would like you to meet." He motioned behind him, to the door of an empty classroom. "You may speak to her there."_

_ Lily frowned. "You're not going to introduce us, professor?"_

_ Dumbledore's smile fell. "She doesn't particularly… like my presence. It would be best if you two met her on your own."_

_ "'Kay, professor! C'mon, Sev, let's go," Lily urged, tugging him forward by a sleeve. Both third-year students walked into the empty classroom. To their surprise, it was completely lit and empty. Nevertheless, Snape spotted a figure dwarfed by one of the high windows of the classroom. The girl had long black hair that cascaded to the floor and pale skin that matched the girl standing next to him. She was dressed in a lavender kimono with the belt shaped like a butterfly's wings. At the sound of them entering, the girl turned to both of them. Amethyst irises stared._

"Who are you?" _she asked, cocking her head to the side. Her lips didn't move, so Severus and Lily assumed that this was telepathy. _"You are unlike the Professor standing outside."

_Lily was the first to speak. She took a step forward, curtsying. "I'm Lily Evans, a third-year Gryffindor student." She turned emerald irises to Severus._

_ The raven-haired boy sighed but made a half-bow anyway. "I am Severus Snape, a third-year Slytherin student."_

_ A hint of a smile came across the girl's face. _"Ah, so you are the two the Professor spoke to me about. I assume you are the one adept with Charms, Miss Evans. That leaves the task of Potions to Mister Snape. Am I correct?" _Simultaneous nods gave her an answer. The girl hopped down from the window sill, and it was then that Severus noted just how small the girl seemed. She looked to be about eight, but the way she talked told him that she was older than that._

"I am known as Hana Ichihara," _the kimono-clad female said as she introduced herself, bowing from her waist. _"I'm not affiliated with any house, though I may be attending classes here in the near future. If he has anything to do with it, that is," _she concluded, gesturing to the door._

_ "Are you old enough to attend this school?" Severus blurted, immediately regretting it as the girl glared at him._

_ Her glare rivaled that of Lily's. "_I'm eleven. Yes, I know I'm tiny, but that's what happens when you have two Asian parents. My mother is purely Japanese while my father was half Chinese and half British," _Hana explained. _"But I digress. The professor is asking you two to help me with a little problem." _She pointed to her throat, and it was then that Severus noticed the scars crisscrossing across the area where her vocal chords should be. _"He would like you two to help me find a voice. With your expertise in both Charms and Potions, he says it should only be a matter of time. Your efforts won't go unrewarded."

_Hana waved one of her hands in a large arc, and a magic circle appeared beneath her feet. _"You see, I am in the business of granting wishes. As long as a proper price is paid and the wish is within my power, I am able to make those wishes come true."

_"Any wish?" Severus asked, eyes wide._

"Yes…" _Hana trailed. _"But that is to be discussed at a later time. Are you both willing to help me?"

_"Yes," Severus replied immediately._

That memory faded into another just as quickly as the first appeared.

_Severus used to escape to the astronomy tower late at night when he wanted to think. However, someone had beaten him up here. _"Oh, Severus," _Hana whispered from atop one of the battlements. They were both older now; Severus was in his sixth year at Hogwarts while Hana was in her fourth. Although she was now an official student of the institution, she refused to wear the robes—something about them being too dreary. Instead, she wore a dark purple kimono with moons and stars running up the left side._

"You shouldn't be standing when there's a seat right here." _Hana gestured to an empty spot next to her. _"I won't let you fall. C'mon, Mister Sourpuss. I don't bite." _A hint of a smile._ "Not on Fridays, anyway."

_"I am not remaining for lo—"_

_A wave of Hana's hand shoved him forward and sat him next to her without warning. Hana's smile widened, if only a little bit. _"You came up here for some kind of solitude, I'm assuming? You don't need to talk about it or anything; I'm here for the same reason." _She turned her purple gaze to catch his own black one. _"Can I convince you to stay here for just a few more minutes? I promise that you won't regret it."

_Severus sputtered, trying to find anything to say. He was stopped by a soft touch to his lips from a solitary finger. The spark from the touch made Severus nearly reel back._

"Stop thinking so much," _Hana started. Severus stilled. _"That's better. Now pay attention to what I'm about to say." _She took a deep breath before moving her hand to his cheek. _"We all have secrets, and I'm not about to pry into yours. If you feel like sharing, well…" _Hana pulled away and turned her head to gaze at the full moon which wasn't obscured by any clouds tonight. _"I'm not about to leave you like Lily did."

_Severus also turned his eyes to the sky. "It was __**my**__ fault that she broke off our friendship. I called her a Mudblood."_

_ That caused Hana to nearly snort. _"Please. If she were truly your friend, she would have blown off the steam by now and come back to you. In **my** opinion, she's completely smitten by that Potter fellow in your year." _She shook her head. _"Lily doesn't know what she's missing. How often does one come across someone like you: a boy who doesn't care for all the trivial matters?"

_"Not many share my childhood."_

"True," _Hana interjected. _"But at least you're alive, Severus. That's what matters."

_Severus paused at the sadness coating the girl's words. Usually she would speak in a neutral tone. Even though Severus had known Hana for the past four years, come to think of it, he didn't know her much at all. When he glanced at her, he was shocked by the tears dripping from her eyes. "Hana…"_

"Promise me something, Severus,"_ Hana whispered, refusing to look him straight in the eyes. _"Promise me… promise me that you'll keep on living, no matter what misfortune comes your way."_ It was then that she met his gaze again, despite the tears. Severus could see the obvious care shining in the pools of purple, but there was some other emotion he couldn't place. _"Contrary to what you may think, you have people who care about you. If you were to… if you were to die…" _Hana shook her head, causing her hair to flail about. _"I'm sorry. I've already said too much." _She twisted her body in order to hop off of the battlement. Hana began to walk away, but a firm grip on her hand kept her rooted in place._

_ She sighed. With her back still to him, Hana said, _"Forget what I just said, okay?" _She tore her hand away from his and fled down the stairs of the astronomy tower._

A third memory followed suit. _The tower was, once again, the setting. Severus sprinted up the stairs to find Hana standing close to the edge, watching the full moon once again. She stood straight, the folds of her off-shoulder gown draping over her form. The pale lavender color and silk of the dress reflected the light of the moon, creating a glow about the woman. At the noise she in his direction but gasped when she saw the tears streaking down his face. _"Sever—"

_She wasn't expecting the crushing embrace he gave to her. For a moment, Hana froze as the wizard sobbed. "Lily… Lily is…" Severus began._

_ Her eyes widened in realization. _"How…"

_"It's my fault," Severus hissed, shaking. "The Dark Lord murdered James and L-Lily Potter. Their son still lives. Albus, Minerva, and Rubeus Hagrid are taking him to his aunt's home. They… they say blood wards will protect him."_

_ Hana shushed him with a finger upon his lips, the warmth of her wards shooing the darkness clouding his aura away. _"You'll be okay, Severus. Remember what you promised me all of those years ago." _Her hands moved to wipe the tears from his eyes. The wizard didn't notice her shaking. When they met gazes, Severus spotted indiscernible emotion in Hana's irises. This was the same one that he'd seen back when they were children._

"You still love her, after all of this time," _Hana whispered. Stricken by the truth, Severus could only nod dumbly. He missed the wry smile sitting on Hana's face. _"You'll make it through this, Severus… I know you will. You're strong." _Hana leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his right cheek. White magic flowed from the intimate touch, wrapping about him as white ribbons. Hana pulled away and ran a lily-white hand down his opposite cheek._ "Remember, Severus, I will **always **be with you. Just say my name, and I'll be once again by your side."

_ Before he could ask what she meant, a crash made Hana push Severus away. She waved a hand, and a magic circle appeared below the wizard's feet. "What are you doing?" Severus screamed when he found out he couldn't move._

"Fulfilling a wish," _Hana said simply._

_ "Move, girl," a menacing voice snarled from the direction of the staircase. Due to Hana being directly in his line of vision, Severus couldn't see who it was. "I don't want to kill you, too."_

_ To Severus' surprise, Hana spread her arms out wide. _"You'll have to kill me in order to get to him. I **will** protect that which is most precious to me."

_"I suppose it can't be helped. _Avada Kedavra!"

_"Hana!" Severus screamed. Everything was enveloped in green light._

* * *

><p>"Hana…"<p>

The girl's head snapped up, her gaze meeting his. A million and one emotions swirled within the… emerald eyes? Snape took one look at Lucas next to him to make sure. Their eyes were mirrors of each other in terms of color. Didn't Iris have brown eyes? Didn't Hana have purple ones? He had no time to analyze anymore as skeletal black wings erupted from the girl's back. As darkness coated the room, Snape felt foreign magic create a barrier in front of him and the boy. The source of the purple runes was Fai, who lay crumpled on the ground.

"Don't…" Fai gasped. "Don't get any closer."

"Why?" Snape asked, eyes narrowed.

Fai opened his voice to speak, but his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he passed out. Both Snape and Lucas rushed over, though it appeared that they weren't needed. Syaoran had just entered, a lean warrior—at least, that's what Severus assumed since a long sword was strapped to the tanned one's side—swiftly following. The latter knelt down and gathered the blonde into his arms, a crimson-eyed glare demanding what just happened. Syaoran, however, was left staring at the wings that continued to grow from Iris' back.

"What's going on?" the Potions' Master demanded.

The brunette continued to stare as he whispered, "That's the same seal that enveloped Princess Sakura…" Syaoran drifted off at seeing the expression on the woman's face.

Iris just smiled. "I guess my seal really is breaking," she commented. She placed the guitar back in its case and closed the lid. However, Iris didn't buckle the case shut. At the sound of cracking glass, Syaoran gasped. He did for good reason: the bottom of Iris' kimono began to flake apart and disappear into nothing.

Lucas suddenly ran forward, and it was only Snape's tight grip on his right arm that kept him from running straight into Fai's barrier. A tug brought the struggling boy into another embrace, with Lucas' back pressed against Snape's chest.

"An instant of time that was stopped has started again," the girl explained as she took a few steps forward. It was only then that Snape realized he could no longer move, his arms locking Lucas in place. He attempted to unravel them to no avail. "Severus." The professor stopped and looked up at the hanging figure. "There's no need to struggle. The time which has begun to move is not your own." Iris winced when a long feather wrapped around her neck. A gasp caused Lucas to whimper, and in response more pieces broke off of the woman's dress.

None of this made any sense. Black wings? Stopping time? Why was she breaking apart?

A laugh similar to ringing bells echoed. "It's a lot to take in, I realize. Don't worry; everything has been planned just as meticulously as you brew your potions, Severus." Iris smiled. "I assume you have questions, yes?"

Severus' gaze faltered before he met hers again. "Who **are** you, really? You say your name is Iris Kimura, and yet I've seen traits of both Lily and Hana in you."

A pause. "I've asked you once before, Severus," Iris replied. "Do you believe in reincarnations?" The dark wizard nodded, though it was a hesitant one. "You could say I'm a… modified reincarnation of Hana Ichihara."

"Ichihara?" the warrior from behind Severus hissed. "The witch?"

"Yes, I am blood related to Yuuko Ichihara, the Dimensional Witch… at least this body is," Iris explained. "I'm only here because a certain someone wished for me to stay. Although the wish wasn't explicitly said, the wizard's will was so strong that I could never vanish." Iris kept her gaze locked on Severus' as she said that. The shards continued breaking past her knees.

"Thanks to all of you, I have made my decision. Time begins to move forward, and thus I will as well," Iris continued.

"No, you can't!" Snape stared at shock at the little boy who had just screamed from within his grip. That means they weren't in reality anymore. The only time that Lucas spoke was in the dream plane, but this certainly didn't look like the darkness they encountered earlier. Lucas looked at Iris from over the professor's arms. "Mommy, don't go!"

"What is this about choice?" the brunette teen screamed from behind them. "You know that none of us want this! Why is it… why is it that you have to go?"

Iris sighed as everything below her waist disappeared. "I shouldn't even exist," she deadpanned. "Long before you three came to our dimension, I was on the verge of death. Isn't that right, Severus?"

He didn't answer.

"We've… we've experienced so much after meeting you," Syaoran began, his voice dropping. "It's all because of you, Iris! Isn't there anything—"

"N-no, there isn't," Fai's voice whispered. _**At least he's awake now, **_Snape thought. _**I don't believe he would have been pleased if Iris had… **_"It's futile," the blonde continued in a stronger voice. "I've tried everything in my power, and **combined** Iris and I were only able to delay this moment. No magic can bring someone back from the dead."

"At least," Iris appended, "not in the way that everyone remembers." She held out a hand that began to break apart as well. Her eyes scanned the limb as if it were a foreign specimen.

Lucas cried out again. "Mommy, please… This isn't how… No, you're not leaving!"

The nurse turned her attention to the boy. "Lucas Harrison Potter, listen to me." At his full name, the emerald-eyed boy stopped struggling. "You know I haven't lied to you, honey. That's because you're precious to me." Iris took a deep breath and attempted to hide another wince. "You meet, you join with others… And what you do after that is entirely your decision. I've only sown the seeds, the circumstances in which your meetings have occurred. Now it is up to you to write your own futures.

"With this, my part in this is done. When I fade away, the dream will disappear along with me. Fai," Iris said, turning her head to the blonde, "I'll need you to cast your world transportation magic at the moment Severus apparates to Hogwarts. If you tarry, you may be caught up in the fissure my disappearance will make."

"Hogwarts?" Snape inquired with a glare, "after all the trouble you went through to keep Lucas from Dumbledore?"

Iris' gaze shifted to the dark wizard. "As I've said… I can't protect him anymore. That responsibility now lies with you, Severus." Tears threatened to spill past her eyes. She knelt in front of him so that they were eye-to-eye. Her green eyes flashed with a familiar, yet unknown, emotion. "Please, I beg of you… take care of my son. Whether or not he's my biological son, the fact that he is precious to me is unchanged. I promised Lucas a long time ago that I would protect him until this moment came. I need you to promise me that you will."

Although Severus Snape was good at reading people, he could never truly figure out what Hana, and now Iris, had to hide. It was ironic seeing as he was the Potions professor and Head of Slytherin in Hogwarts; Snape was the one who **needed **to figure out that which people had to hide.

He blinked out of his thoughts when Iris placed a hand on his slightly-bruised right cheek. Snape hadn't even noticed Lucas had struck him that hard in the midst of his flailing earlier. The same spark he felt when Hana touched him healed the wound, but as a result that hand began to break apart faster.

At seeing the phenomenon progress faster, Lucas screamed, "Mommy!"

"Lucas, honey," Iris whispered, turning her attention to the boy in Snape's arms. "Remember, I will always love you, no matter who I am at the time. I may show my love in different ways, but I still love you nonetheless. I only wish that I could tell you more." _**But that,**_ the woman thought, _**would go beyond my limit of interference. **_With that her arms and torso faded away. _**Not like I have that much time left, anyway.**_

Snape pursed his lips; he didn't like the finality in her voice nor her disappearance. "I will," he committed at last. He saw gratefulness shine in Iris' eyes as she met his gaze. _**She looks just like Lily.**_

"You still love Lily, after all of this time," came a whisper. Iris sighed and shook her head. "I guess it cannot be helped. You'll make it through this, Severus… I know you will. You're strong." The familiarity of the words shocked Snape to the point where he nearly didn't notice the wry smile on Iris' face. He **did** catch it, however, and frowned.

_**Why would she display such an expression?**_ Snape thought before Iris leaned forward to whisper in his ear. Her warm breath upon the lobe caused shivers to run down his spine. There were very few times someone had been so close to him. "Thank you, Severus. I—"

A whoosh of wind. As quickly as they had been pulled into the Dreamplane, everyone was deposited back into the loft. The setting sun told Snape that more time had passed in reality than in the dream. With a start, Snape discovered that Iris was nowhere to be found. He glanced down to see Lucas staring forward in shock, body completely still. Slowly the teacher turned the boy around to look into his eyes. The normally vibrant emerald irises held a glazed sheen.

Snape frowned harder. That wasn't a good sign at all; he was probably going through shock after seeing Iris disappear like that. The wizard picked the boy up and placed him on his hip. His left arm wrapped under the boy's bottom in order to keep him steady as his right hand sought his wand. Snape turned around and saw that the other three could also move. Syaoran's bangs shadowed his eyes, Fai looked guilty, and the warrior glared at nothing in particular. Had they known this was going to happen?

Fai stood up with the help of the warrior and brushed himself off. He turned to Snape. "Professor Snape, would you be so kind as to summon Iris' belongings? I'm afraid I don't know the incantation," the blonde said.

"Very well. _Accio_, Iris' assets!" Snape shouted with a flick of his wand. Funnily enough, very few things flew into his vicinity. This included a few boxes and envelopes. The man's black stare shifted to the picture of Lily Potter sitting on the fireplace mantle. "Hm. _Accio, _Lily's picture!" The picture floated to him. Snape took hold of the silver frame in the same hand that he used to support Lucas.

The guitar still sat on the floor.

"… _Accio, _Hana's guitar." The instrument floated out of its case and followed the invisible trail of Snape's wand as he moved it to Syaoran. Without a word the brunette nodded and plucked the guitar out of the air. Snape looked to the too-quiet boy sitting in his grip. He couldn't forget Lucas' things too. "_Accio, _Lucas' possessions!" All of his stuff exempting a small blue blanket was stuffed into a conjured backpack. Snape instead wrapped the baby blanket about the boy's shoulders. He got the reaction he wanted as Lucas cuddled into the soft cloth.

That was a bit better than the blank stare, but Snape was still worried about the boy's mental health. There wasn't much time to think about it as a crash resounded from outside the door. Fai and the others rushed toward Snape and Lucas as the blonde drew runes in the air. Neon purple magic followed Fai's fingers and surrounded the five males. Another explosion rattled the loft from the outside, causing Snape's grip on Lucas to tighten.

"Teleport us now!" Fai exclaimed as his circle completed itself.

Snape clenched his eyes shut and formed Hogwarts in his mind. He hadn't done a side-along apparition in quite a while, and to be honest he wasn't exactly sure if he had the strength. _**That doesn't matter now. What **__does __**matter is everyone's safety. **_With a swish of his wand in a wide arc, everyone disappeared.

As soon as they did, the door to the loft blasted open. Several men garbed in black sporting masks with snake-like eyeholes filtered in. They proceeded to ransack the entire apartment. The last to enter was a wizard wearing navy blue robes. Although he did not wear a mask, a large hood shielded his facial features from view.

"They have departed, have they?" a deep baritone came from beneath the hood. "No matter. Hogwarts cannot hide the Dreamseer from me forever. While I wait, I may as well give the boy and his companions something to worry about." A wave of his hand conjured a large fiery snake which set the entire place ablaze. The caster about-faced. "Come, my servants. We have much work to do." With that the mysterious wizard apparated, the masked ones following suit.


	11. Beautiful Disaster

**A/N: **Only **four** reviews last chapter? And that was the end of an arc, too. How… disappointing. =( C'mon, guys. I know more of you read this fic! Reviews get chapters put up faster, because I put up chapters based upon reviewers input. I got far more reviews for my other fics, lol. Yeah, I know it's a little short, but I'd rather have it this short rather than ridiculously long.

Just keep in mind that **I have up to** **Movement 14** **already** **prewritten**.

**Image Song:** Beautiful Disaster by Kelly Clarkson. Imagine the boy she sings about is Lucas right now. There couldn't be a better song for this chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP, TRC, or the Image Songs. I only own Iris. =)

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><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Movement XI – Beautiful Disaster**

* * *

><p><em>He drowns in his dreams,<br>An exquisite extreme, I know.  
>He's as damned as he seems,<br>And more heaven than a heart could hold._

_~Beautiful Disaster_

Mommy was gone.

_The nurse turned her attention to the boy. "Lucas Harrison Potter, listen to me." At his full name, the emerald-eyed boy stopped struggling. "You know I haven't lied to you, honey. That's because you're precious to me." Iris took a deep breath and attempted to hide another wince. "You meet, you join with others… And what you do after that is entirely your decision. I've only sown the seeds, the circumstances in which your meetings have occurred. Now it is up to you to write your own futures._

_"With this, my part in this is done. When I fade away, the dream will disappear along with me."_

Mommy really disappeared. This wasn't a dream. This was reality, and that, perhaps, was what scared Lucas the most. The moment she blew away with the winds, Lucas didn't know what to think anymore. Only the thoughts of Mommy, gone, and forever ran through his mind over and over like a broken record.

In the midst of his suffering, that warm darkness from earlier wrapped around him. _**Isn't this Professor Snape's magic? Why… **_The next thing he knew, something soft and familiar was being wrapped around him. The blanket faintly smelled of ashes. Though it brought up a horrible memory, the familiarity did more good than harm. Lucas buried his face in the blanket, snuggling into Snape's shoulders. Right now he couldn't—no, **wouldn't—**care what his future teacher thought of him. Lucas needed this, and he'd be damned not to take advantage while he could.

Mommy told him that Severus Snape wasn't known as a kind man. In fact, his public image was the exact opposite. Lucas couldn't help but agree; the way Snape dressed and acted surely earned him the Dungeon Bat nickname. But that's all it was: a public image. Lucas knew from personal experience that people acted differently in front of other people than in their own homes. Take the Dursleys for example. On the outside, they looked and lived like everyone else on Privet Drive. Behind closed doors, they were monsters… or so that's what Mommy explained to him.

As magic pulsed around him, Lucas couldn't help but clutch at the man tighter. Although Fai's magic was being used for teleportation, Lucas could sense the hostile magic just outside the apartment's door. However, he refused to cry. Only weak people cried, and he wasn't allowed to be weak anymore. Now that Mommy was gone, Lucas needed to stand on his own. And even though he knew very well that this day was coming, he wished with all of his heart that it never would.

"_Some dreams, Luca, if you wish hard enough, might just come true."_

"_But Mommy, isn't that just made up stuff from fairytales?"_

_A shake of the head. "No, honey. Wishing—human desire—is a very mysterious thing. If you wish with all of your heart and put in just the right amount of effort, your dreams will come to fruition."_

_**Mommy was wrong, **_Lucas thought to himself as he felt Snape's magic wash over him. His thoughts were abruptly cut as Lucas' stomach turned inside out and backwards. Something pushed him through a tiny hole before dropping him unceremoniously back into reality. His tiny hands immediately flew to his mouth as he dry heaved. _**What was that?**_

"I apologize," Lucas heard somewhere to his right. Did that deep, soothing voice belong to the Potion's Master? "I had no time to warn you. Apparition, although it is the most common form of transportation in my magical society, can be quite… uncomfortable."

"Bastard," Kurogane muttered.

"Just like old times!" Fai chirped.

"**Get off of me!**" Kurogane shouted. Lucas peeked an eye over Snape's shoulder to see the three travelers piled upon each other with the _shinobi_ stuck on the bottom. Syaoran scrambled to get off, but Fai seemed content to sit on the small of Kurogane's back. Lucas couldn't help but crack a tiny smile at their antics. All too soon the grim reality that Iris was gone settled in, and all Lucas could do was bury his head in Snape's shoulder and hope everything would be all right.

* * *

><p>Snape stumbled forward, but his grip on Lucas only tightened. His vision swam in front of his eyes, his chest shuddered when he breathed, and even his legs trembled. Snape didn't realize until that moment just how exhausting Apparating <strong>four <strong>other people would be.

"Professor, are you all right?" asked the brunette, brushing himself off as he stood up.

He nodded. "I… merely need to… rest."

Hearing the long pauses between his words, Fai hopped off of Kurogane's back and sprinted over. His heterochromatic eyes stared deep into Snape's obsidian ones for a few moments, and they came to some kind of mutual understanding. Fai nodded to no one in particular before placing one of his hands on Snape's free bicep. The blonde took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Snape gasped as foreign magic flowed through his body from where Fai held onto him. He idly wondered what form of magic it was as his strength slowly returned. Although Snape was far from fully recovered, he now had enough energy to make it to the dungeons.

"We must make haste," Snape managed to get out as he suddenly headed for the castle. "Whatever attacked the loft may very well be following. Once we pass the barrier of the Hogwarts' grounds, we should be safe." The other three men nodded, though Kurogane looked the most confused of the three. Snape led the way to what most likely appeared to be a dilapidated pile of ruins.

The gasp he heard once they crossed the anti-apparition barrier told him enough. "Woah," was all Syaoran could utter as the castle instantly made itself known. Snape glanced to the side and saw wonder splayed across the boy's features. A look to his opposite side told him that the warrior was also surprised. Fai merely grinned at him; Snape made a mental note to keep a closer eye on the fellow wizard.

The trip to the dungeons didn't take long at all. Since it was still technically the winter holidays, the halls were empty. Not that Snape was complaining or anything… the less that was known, the better. He muttered the password to his chambers and stood back the portrait of Salazar Slytherin opened wide to allow them passage.

"You may remain here as long as the need persists," the professor explained once he led the travelers into his living room. "Now, might you have any contacts in this… reality aside from Iris? You must understand that time is of the essence."

Syaoran's mouth dropped open at the sheer amount of books lining up against the walls. "M-might you have an encyclopedia handy?"

Snape flicked a wrist at one of the shelves. A large tome slid out and flew to the wooden table next to the teenager. He raised an eyebrow at the efficiency at which Syoran flipped open the first pages to scour the table of contents.

"Clow Reed and the Dimensional Witch are mentioned in here!" Syaoran shouted in triumph. He set A History of Magic on its spine and opened it to the last third of pages. He ran a finger down the parchment until he made a noise of triumph. "Clow Reed is considered one of the greatest magicians of all time," he quoted. "One of his most notable achievements was the creation of what he and his partner, the Dimensional Witch, called the Mokonas."

"Speaking of the _manjuu-bun_, where is it?" Kurogane muttered. "We know the Witch is dead, but what about that Watanuki kid?"

Snape's eyes narrowed into a glare. "Might he also be known as the Dimensional Wizard?" The pin-drop silence and widened eyes from all three men told Snape enough. After shifting Lucas on his hip again, Snape walked over to the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of green powder with his free hand and threw it into the fire with a shout of, "The Dimensional Wizard's shop!"

The flames flared the same eerie green as the powder and stayed that way for a few moments. "Watanuki, Watanuki!" came a pair of girl's voices. "The professor is calling! He's calling, he's calling!"

Syaoran knelt next to the fireplace, his mouth gaping. "H-how…"

"Magic, Syaoran. And here I thought you'd be used to this by now," Fai teased. "Mokona should be coming along so—"

"_Fwee~!_" As if on cue a bunny-like creature leapt out of the green flames straight into Syaoran's face. The boy fell backward with an audible thud. "Hiiiii! Took you guys long enough!" Mokona tsked. She bounced off of Syaoran's face and onto Fai's shoulder. The red jewel on its forehead glinted in the low light. "How was your trip? The landing?"

"We still need to work on the landing part," Fai began with a sheepish grin. "But at least Kuro-daddy broke the fall again~"

"**I told you to stop calling me that!**" Kurogane hissed, whacking Fai on the back of the head.

An echoing knock shut everyone up. Snape swiveled on his heels to face the door of his chambers. Only one person was here over the holidays aside from himself, the one person he was **not **prepared to speak to… especially with Harry Potter clinging to him like a lifeline. The knocks came again, more persistent.

More silence.

"Severus? There was a breach in the wards a few minutes ago. Are you all right?" Dumbledore's voice echoed through the room.

_**Well, fuck.**_


	12. If Happy Ever After Did Exist

**A/N: **I was looking over this story's statistics and blanched. **207 alerts **and** 119 favorites**? Darn! I didn't expect this to get that much attention! I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I love writing it. I have the next **five** chapters prewritten, but as I said last chapter reviews help get them up faster. -holds out review box- Feed the authoress? ;3c Only **6 more** until 100! I'm gonna cry when I get to that point. Seriously.

For all who **don't** know Tsubasa's storyline, it's summed up here (using the second chapter of the manga). It's a really good series, so if you like watching anime—or even if you don't—I definitely suggest it! One of the reasons why I don't put that it's a crossover in the summary is because that deters a lot of people. I hope to open your eyes to a different genre this way. And as I said at the beginning of this paragraph, all of the important information is explained in this chapter.

The memories not from this story are actually taken from the prequel, Technological Issues. That Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle story is mostly written, but I want to finish posting this one completely before putting up the prequel.

**Image Song:** Payphone by Maroon 5. This song has been stuck in my head for **weeks**, and it's definitely one of my favorites.

**Warnings: **Yes, this is a crossover with Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and xXxHolic. You **do not** need to go and read/watch those series. Everything that needs to be explained will be explained. You'll just have a smidge of an advantage if you know the gist of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and xXxHolic.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP, TRC, xXxHolic or the Image Songs. I only own Iris and Hana. =)

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><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Movement XII – If Happy Ever After Did Exist**

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><p><em>If "Happy Ever After" did exist,<br>I would still be holding you like this.  
>All of those fairytales are full of it,<br>One more stupid love song, I'll be sick.  
>~Payphone<em>

How exactly was he going to explain all of this? Snape didn't know exactly what kind of breach Dumbledore was talking about. Did he know that Harry Potter was here, or did the castle only show him the magical potential as a whole?

The knocking came again.

"Syaoran, Kurogane, take Lucas and head to Watanuki's shop," Fai began in a low voice. His happy demeanor immediately fell. If Snape looked any closer, he would have seen the eyes of the blond narrow into that of a feline's.

Lucas shook his head. _**Nonononono. **_He clung on tighter, if that was even possible. His arms wrapped about Snape's neck and shook with each breath the little boy took. Unlike Iris, Snape didn't flinch at the extra force.

"Lucas, it is imperative that you go," Snape ordered, eyes still glued to his door. "The Headmaster does not know that you are present. Perhaps Fai and I can come up with a diversion considering that the Headmaster already knows about the magical training." He only looked down when he felt the boy pull away. Bloodshot—and yet still vibrant—emerald green eyes stared up at him.

"You promise you'll come back?" was the slow movement of the boy's lips. Tears continued to slip down his cheeks. "You won't leave like Mommy and Mama?"

_Iris' gaze shifted to the dark wizard. "As I've said… I can't protect him anymore. That responsibility now lies with you, Severus." Tears threatened to spill past her eyes. She knelt in front of him so that they were eye-to-eye. Her green eyes flashed with a familiar, yet unknown, emotion. "Please, I beg of you… take care of my son. Whether or not he's my biological son, the fact that he is precious to me is unchanged. I promised Lucas a long time ago that I would protect him until this moment came. I need you to promise me that you will."_

"A wise sorceress once told me that there is a certain magic in promises," Snape replied. "I made an Unbreakable Vow to Lily **and **Iris stating that I would protect you. I shall go to you as soon as I am able."

"We'll be with you guys tomorrow morning at the latest, all right?" Fai reassured. He walked over and placed a hand on Lucas' head. "Just think of all of the amazing food Watanuki's going to make for you!"

That brought a hint of a smile onto the boy's face. He nodded and reluctantly unraveled his arms from around Snape's neck. Kurogane took him with a stoic expression on his face. A silent understanding passed between him and Snape as they locked eyes. Snape couldn't help but notice the way that Lucas curled up in the warrior's grip instead of clinging like he did only a few moments ago.

"Step through the flames, and you shall be deposited in the Dimensional Wizard's shop," the professor explained. "Tell the Wizard to close the connection once you arrive."

"Okay. We'll see you in a few hours," Syaoran answered, hanging onto Hana's guitar with a bit more force. He walked into the Floo, followed closely behind by Kurogane and Lucas. A flash of green told the two wizards that they had departed. A silent _aguamenti _from Snape extinguished the flames immediately. A drying charm erased any evidence that the fireplace was recently used.

"I'm ready when you are," Fai commented. He gestured to the door, where Dumbledore stood on the other side.

Snape sighed deeply as he stalked forward. Confrontations with Dumbledore were difficult enough without the secrets. He would need to watch his words, but perhaps Fai could aid him in crafting another layer of his well-built web of lies. After making sure his composure was regained, Snape opened the door to his rooms.

Dumbledore stood on the other side, looking exasperated. Snape couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He hadn't seen the Headmaster quite so… worried before. Once the older wizard got a good look at him, he breathed heavily. "Thank Merlin," Dumbledore finally answered after a long period of silence. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. I saw the need to bring my newest pupil here to Hogwarts with me, Headmaster," Snape explained as he led the older man into the room. He held an arm out to Fai who stood in the middle of the sitting room sporting a huge grin. "Perhaps it is his magical potential that activated the wards."

Fai took a step forward, offering a handshake to the Headmaster. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir."

An indistinguishable emotion flashed through Dumbledore's blue eyes as he accepted the handshake. "The same to you, my boy!" Dumbledore laughed. "My old age is getting the better of me, I suppose. Well then, I should be heading back; it's quite late. Why don't you boys get some sleep?" With a wave the Headmaster exited the rooms.

"That we shall," Snape commented as Dumbledore left. Once the portrait of Salazar Slytherin creaked shut, he wordlessly threw every ward he had at the door. _**No more surprises, **_Snape mentally noted once he finished.

"So that's the infamous Dumbledore…"

"What do you know of him?" Snape asked the blond.

The mage sat down on a nearby chair. He settled against the back, entwining his fingers in his lap. "Iris told us only what we needed to know. She spoke about others in code, as she gave everyone a nickname. She called you the 'Dark Man' every time she spoke of you… which was quite often," Fai explained. "She called Dumbledore the Puppetmaster."

_"You bastard," Iris snarled at the closed door. "I refuse to be used as another one of your puppets."_

_**I have to agree with that**_, Snape mentally agreed. "What did she deem 'necessary'?"

"General information," Fai replied. "She gave me a copy of Hogwarts: A History to read during my downtime in the bar." Fai surprised Snape when he cast a _tempus_ on the air above his head. _**When did he learn that? Was Iris able to teach Fai some basic spells? **_"Since we have some time, I can explain some things. I know you must have questions about Syaoran, Kurogane, and me. Perhaps it is better if I show you? Iris told me that you have… what is it called… a pensieve?"

Snape nodded and walked to the far wall, where an old China cabinet stood. The Potion's Master reached into the first drawer and brought out a heavy stone bowl. He didn't bother to levitate it, though it may have been much easier to do so. Instead Snape ran his fingers along the engraved sides of the bowl. He placed it on the wooden coffee table in front of Fai.

"It's a work of art," Fai commented as he leaned over to take a better look at it. Feathers of all shapes and sizes curled around the stone. "Who gave it to you?"

"Hana did," Snape curtly replied.

"Who was she, if you don't mind me asking?" Fai inquired.

The wizard sat down and folded his hands together in front of his face. He placed his elbows on his knees and took a deep breath. "Hana…" Snape began. "Hana Ichihara was her name. Lily—Lucas' biological mother—and I were asked by the Headmaster to heal her voice when we were teenagers. I have no clue what happened, but she had lost it much like Lucas."

"May I ask a personal question, professor?" Fai inquired. Snape looked up to see the other wizard staring straight at him. Snape nodded. "Who was Hana to you?"

"I… I do not know," Snape replied. A memory came to him nevertheless.

"Stop thinking so much," _Hana started. Severus stilled. _"That's better. Now pay attention to what I'm about to say." _She took a deep breath before moving her hand to his cheek. _"We all have secrets, and I'm not about to pry into yours. If you feel like sharing, well…" _Hana pulled away and turned her head to gaze at the full moon which wasn't obscured by any clouds tonight. _"I'm not about to leave you like Lily did."

_Severus also turned his eyes to the sky. "It was **my** fault that she broke off our friendship. I called her a Mudblood."_

_That caused Hana to nearly snort. _"Please. If she were truly your friend, she would have blown off the steam by now and come back to you. In **my** opinion, she's completely smitten by that Potter fellow in your year." _She shook her head. _"Lily doesn't know what she's missing. How often does one come across someone like you: a boy who doesn't care for all the trivial matters?"

_"Not many share my childhood."_

"True," _Hana interjected. _"But at least you're alive, Severus. That's what matters."

_Severus paused at the sadness coating the girl's words. Usually she would speak in a neutral tone. Even though Severus had known Hana for the past four years, come to think of it, he didn't know her much at all. When he glanced at her, he was shocked by the tears dripping from her eyes. "Hana…"_

"Promise me something, Severus,"_ Hana whispered, refusing to look him straight in the eyes. _"Promise me… promise me that you'll keep on living, no matter what misfortune comes your way."_ It was then that she met his gaze again, despite the tears. Severus could see the obvious care shining in the pools of purple, but there was some other emotion he couldn't place. _"Contrary to what you may think, you have people who care about you. If you were to… if you were to die…" _Hana shook her head, causing her hair to flail about. _"I'm sorry. I've already said too much." _She twisted her body in order to hop off of the battlement. Hana began to walk away, but a firm grip on her hand kept her rooted in place._

_She sighed. With her back still to him, Hana said, _"Forget what I just said, okay?" _She tore her hand away from his and fled down the stairs of the astronomy tower._

_**Would the answer to that question truly change anything? **_Snape wondered as his mind returned to the present. "What was she going to say?" he whispered aloud without realizing it.

Fai pursed his lips as he muttered the spell to remove his memories. A flick of his wrist sent the long strand of silver into the pensieve, where it swirled calmly. Fai stood and held a hand out to the pensieve. "Whenever you feel that you're ready."

Snape nodded to Fai, and they both touched the silver liquid. A woosh and they were gone.

* * *

><p>Tumbling out of the fireplace reminded Syaoran and Kurogane of when Mokona unceremoniously dropped them in a new world. Syaoran ended up landing on his face with Mokona standing on his head. Kurogane did his best to stay on his feet as he had Lucas to take care of. The boy looked a bit… green after the trip.<p>

"Welcome back," came a gentle masculine voice. They all looked up to see a young man about seventeen years of age wearing a royal blue kimono. Butterflies of different colors splayed across the silk, yellow and purple being the primary ones. Behind round glasses sat one golden eye and one the same blue of his clothing. He had snow white skin which contrasted with his raven-colored hair.

Once Lucas heard the voice, he perked up. "Watanuki!" he mouthed. He tugged at Kurogane's clothing, and the tall man placed him on the ground after checking that the kid would be all right. Lucas ran into Watanuki's arms and said nothing more.

Watanuki placed a hand atop the boy's head as he shook. A soft smile crossed his face, one shared by the other two in the room. "Has Fai been separated from you two?" Watanuki asked.

Syaoran shook his head. "He's in Hogwarts with Professor Snape, but he said he'll be here tomorrow morning."

At Snape's name, Lucas turned back toward the fireplace. _**I hope he'll be all right, **_he thought. If there was one thing that Mommy taught him, it was that Dumbledore could not be trusted. Tears no longer streamed down his face, but the worry remained all the same. Shimmering emerald eyes stared up at the dark-haired teen when the hand moved from his head to his shoulder.

"You need not worry, Lucas. Professor Snape and Fai will be just fine," Watanuki assured. He poked the young boy's belly, causing him to squirm. "I bet you're hungry. Why don't we go and get dinner ready?"

Lucas bit the insides of his cheeks and pointed to the fireplace.

"I'll let you know the moment they arrive, all right?" The boy stood and twisted to see the door. "Maru, Moro?" Two young women appeared, looking to be around Lucas' age. The first had long blue hair put up into ponytails. Her outfit was primarily black, with a devil-like theme. The other looked to be her complete opposite. She had short pink hair which curled about her face. Her dress was white and puffy with small angel wings protruding from the back.

"Lucas is here!" Maru cheered. She grabbed Lucas' left arm, her blue hair bouncing around.

"Yay, everyone is here!" Moro added. She took the boy's other arm.

"Maru, Moro, bring Lucas to the kitchen, will you? Help him gather the materials he will need for dinner," Watanuki ordered.

"Kay!" "Let's go~!" A sputtering Lucas was dragged out of the room, leaving Watanuki, Syaoran, and Kurogane behind. The teen with the glasses led the other two to a table sitting in the middle of the room. Once his guests were seated, Watanuki reached into his kimono and pulled out a letter. He slid it face-up on the table. Syaoran and Kurogane's eyes widened at the kanji written on the envelope.

_Syaoran, Fai, and Kurogane_

"It's from Iris," Watanuki explained. "Will you open it now?"

Syaoran reached out to pick it up. The texture of the envelope was thick and rough, definitely not a material native to this time. "It's some kind of parchment paper," he observed. A closer examination told Syaoran there was some kind of ward surrounding it. "I think we'll wait until Fai joins us." He handed the note to Kurogane, who also took his time examining it. "Can you tell us anything about what's going on, Watanuki?"

"What do you need to know?"

* * *

><p>Snape wasn't expecting to stand in the middle of a long, misty room. He seemed to be standing on some kind of invisible platform, as the gray mist surrounded him on all sides. Fai appeared next to him, looking around in much the same quizzical manner. "Is this a physical manifestation of my mind?" Fai asked, looking to Snape for the answer.<p>

"Perhaps. I haven't encountered anything like this personally."

Fai shook his head. "Iris was always full of surprises. She taught me this spell, anticipating this. I think we'll encounter my memories as we continue forward… That's what she told me, anyway."

With a nod to each other, the men started forward. The mist began to gather and form large droplets of rain. The neverending gray dissipated to reveal a gated garden. As they reached the center, Snape recognized three of the five figures standing in the rain. Fai, Kurogane, and Syaoran stood before a tall woman garbed in a black dress. She looked remarkably familiar…

"She looks like Hana…" Snape began slowly.

"That's her mother, Yuuko Ichihara. She was known as the Dimensional Witch. I'm assuming she's the same one mentioned in A History of Magic."

"Are you the Dimensional Witch?" Fai asked politely at the same time Kurogane muttered, "Who the hell are you?"

Yuuko reached a hand forward. "Please give me your names first."

The warrior looked up. "Me? I'm Kurogane. I mean… what is this place?"

"It's called Japan," Yuuko replied, smirking at how Kurogane stared at the skyscrapers.

"Eh? My country's called Japan, too."

"Yes, a different Japan."

"I'm not getting any of this!"

The smirk on Yuuko's face only grew. "And you?" she asked, turning to Fai.

The blond bowed. "The Wizard of Celes. Fai D. Fluorite."

"Do you know where you are?"

"Yes," Fai replied with certainty. "A place where any wish can be granted if a suitable price is paid."

_**Hana introduced herself as one of those Wishgranters, **_Snape thought.

_Hana waved one of her hands in a large arc, and a magic circle appeared beneath her feet. _"You see, I am in the business of granting wishes. As long as a proper price is paid and the wish is within my power, I am able to make those wishes come true."

_"Any wish?" Severus asked, eyes wide._

"Yes…" _Hana trailed. _"But that is to be discussed at a later time. Are you both willing to help me?"

_"Yes," Severus replied immediately._

"That's exactly it. And so… the reason why all of you are here..." Yuuko continued, "is because each of you has a wish."

"My home world is the place I do **not** want to be." "My home world is where I want to be!" Kurogane glared at Fai as they spoke in tandem again.

Yuuko placed a finger at her lips. "That is a tall order… for both of you." Her red eyes glanced down at Syaoran and the girl he held close. "No…for all **three** of you. Perhaps. Even if you offered the most precious things you own, none of you has enough to pay… But if all three paid together, you may just be able to afford it."

"What kind of **crap **are you spouting?" Kurogane growled.

"Mr. Black, can you keep your insults down?" Fai asked, poking him.

"IM NOT "MR. BLACK"!" Kurogane shouted, causing Fai to shield his ears.

The current Fai chuckled. "Some things never change." He favored his own ears when the warrior screamed. Snape winced.

"All three of your wishes are the same," the Dimensional Witch explained. She turned to Syaoran. "You want to go to many worlds in order to restore the memory of this child." A glance at Kurogane. "You want to return to your own world." Now Fai. "You want to go to different worlds to avoid returning to your own. You have different reasons, but the method is the same. Travel to different dimensions… that is what you need. Each of you individually cannot make that wish happen. However if the three of you combine payment for one wish, then you can afford it."

"Then what would **my** payment be?" Kurogane butted in.

"Your sword," Yuuko replied simply.

"Wha—? I'd **never** sell away Ginryu!" was the protest as he held the blade far away from the witch. Snape noticed an intricate ivory dragon serving as the hilt to the katana. After some more protesting, Kurogane finally relented and handed it over.

Yuuko looked over her shoulder. "Your price… is your marking."

The shock on Fai's face was evident. "I don't suppose this staff would do instead?"

"It won't. I told you, the price is the thing you value most."

Fai's lips formed a terse line, but it quickly turned into a tiny smile. "I guess I have no choice." A tattoo as intricate as Ginryu's hilt peeled off of the wizard's back. Snape could see the image of a phoenix within the swirls of black. _**Why would he treasure a magic suppressing mark?**_ Snape thought as Fai's magical potential increased at an astounding rate.

"What about you? Now is the time to hand over your item of highest value. And you will be able to travel the worlds."

"Fine!" Syaoran replied.

"You realize that I haven't named the price yet," Yuuko continued, a frown appearing on her face.

"Yes."

"The only thing I can do is send you to other words. Finding the child's memories is something **you** will have to do."

"… Fine!" Syaoran shouted without much hesitation.

The woman's lips turned up into a smile. "I like your attitude." She turned her head when she saw a boy run up to her with two rabbit-like things in his arms. He handed the white one to Yuuko.

"Watanuki?" Snape asked as he saw the boy. It was odd to see the Dimensional Wizard in anything but intricate clothing. He wore a typical Japanese schoolboy uniform.

The current Fai nodded. "He was a regular student before he became Yuuko's successor. I don't know the whole story, and it's not mine to tell anyway. You can ask him later."

Yuuko held the creature toward the group. "Mokona will lead you through the worlds."

The black one waved from Watanuki's arms, catching Kurogane's attention. "Hey, you got an extra. Give it to me. I'll go home with that."

The Dimensional Witch pointed from the white to the black one. "No. That's how we keep in contact. The only power this one has is to stay in communication with Mokona. Mokona will take you to different dimensions, but there is no way to control which dimension. For that reason, only fate will decide when your wishes will be granted.

"However, there is no coincidence in this world. What **is **there is _hitsuzen_. Ant what brought you together… was also _hitsuzen_. Syaoran, your price is… your relationship. The thing you value the most is your relationship with her. So that is your price."

"My price? But how—?"

"Even if this child's memories are completely restored… your relationship with her will never be the same again. So what is she to you?"

Syaoran looked down at the girl before he shut his eyes. "A childhood friend… and the princess of a country… and a girl who is precious to me!"

Yuuko paused for a long while. "I see. However, if you want to accept Mokona, that relationship will end. Even if you retrieve all of her memories, the one memory that you will never retrieve will be her memory of you."

Snape was just as surprised as the other two. There was no permanent magic in this world, or so that's what the English wizard thought. Then again, Yuuko had power that could rival Dumbledore's if not more.

"Will you still pay it?"

"Let's go. I will **not** let Sakura die!" The scene dissolved quickly back into the mist which welcomed Snape and Fai earlier.

"That's how everything started," Fai said, ending his sentence with a whistle. "That seems like aaaages ago now!"

"Did this Sakura ever regain the memory of Syaoran?" Snape asked, curious.

"She never did. I'll spare you all the details," he continued, walking forward. Flashes of other memories flew by them. Arguments, laughs, tears, battles. "We journeyed from world to world. Yuuko warned us that it would be hard, but I guess we all underestimated what she said. I lost half of my magic," Fai said. He looked over his shoulder and pointed to his golden eye. "I also gained the blood of a vampire, but you don't need to worry about that. My magic counteracts the worst of it, though I still need to feed once per month. Besides, I can only feed from Kuro-sama." He turned forward. "Kurogane lost one of his arms, but don't tell him I said that! You'd barely be able to tell the difference thanks to the artificial flesh we obtained from Piffle; their technology outshines even yours."

Snape's mind immediately went to the cell phone he received from Iris at the word "technology." He resisted the urge to grimace. Perhaps he would ask Fai to, Merlin forbid, help him figure it out. At this point he was too fed up with the phone to care about his pride.

"Here we go," the blonde mentioned as the mist solidified again. This time they found themselves walking through the streets of New York City. The large building in front of them had a large sign reading "Bellevue Hospital." Snape followed the wizard into the emergency ward, his silence contrasting with the hustle and bustle of everyone working. He followed him to the farthest room. Snape stopped at seeing a **very** pale Kurogane lying unconscious on the sheets. Blood seeped through his bandaged shoulder.

Fai sat next to the bed while Syaoran and Mokona slept in one of the chairs. The wizard was wide awake, his gaze focused upon the stub where his left arm should have been. A knock on the opened door caught both Snape and the past-Fai's attention. Dressed in a white nurse's uniform stood Iris with a soft smile on her face.

"I know visiting hours are over, but I won't make you leave. I don't even **want** to imagine the tantrum he'll pull once the sedatives wear off," Iris began as she walked into the room. She held her right hand out to Fai, who took it gently. "I'm Iris, the head nurse, and I'll be taking care of you." When she pulled away, she opened the chart she held with her left hand. "Kurogane Suwa is his name, huh. I may not look it, but my mother was Japanese. Man, sometimes I miss eastern culture. So much more family-oriented than here in the west."

"Is there anything more that can be done for him?" Fai asked. Kurogane grimaced in his sleep, biting his bottom lip in an unconscious effort to stop from crying out.

"The doctors here can't do much else, but I know someone who can," Iris explained in a hushed tone. "They're keeping him overnight for observation, but all they can do is halt the bleeding. For how long, I dunno, but it looks like the coagulants aren't lasting." She walked over to Kurogane's bad side and motioned to his shoulder. "May I?" At a hesitant nod, Iris put on a glove. She gingerly touched the center, frowning at the nearly inaudible whimper from the bedridden man. "I would normally call the doctor and ask for a stronger dosage, but I'm afraid the combination of medicines he's on would make that a complication." She slid off her glove and dropped it in the trash can.

Iris scribbled notes into the chart before closing it. "I'm sorry I can't do more, but…" She reached into a pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. Iris placed it down on the sheets next to Fai. "When you're discharged, come to this address. It's just a few blocks down, past the café called The Cat's Eye. I guarantee that he'll have the help he needs, Mr. Fluorite. I placed some extra blankets in the drawer if you or young Mr. Li need it." She left with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the wide eyes staring at her back.

"I never told her our names…" the past-Fai gaped. The scene changed to bright the next morning. Snape found himself standing in front of apartment 808.

Syaoran rapped three times on the door, Mokona sitting in his arms. Fai hauled an irate Kurogane next to him. The door swung open to reveal Lucas smiling bright. He looked a few years younger than he did now. "Hi!" the boy chirped. "Come on in! Mommy's just washing up; she won't be long." The scene dispersed once more, leaving the two in the gray space.

Snape paused. "He's talking?"

"Iris is the only one who knows how he lost his voice. There's no physical harm apparent, so I'm assuming it was someone with magical expertise," the present-Fai surmised. "Sorry, but I don't have a memory of how it happened since I wasn't there."

"It's fine," Snape assured. There was magic involved, and that information pointed him in some kind of direction. He could conduct some kind of research once he returned to Hogwarts. "Thank you for sharing this information."

"I can't answer all of your questions, but I'm glad this helped. Shall we venture to the shop? I think Lucas is really worried about you." At another nod from Snape, the two swirled out of memory and back into reality.


	13. A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes

**A/N: **Wow, has it really been this long since I updated? o_o Errr. Here's a (slightly) longer chapter for you!

I can't believe I hit over 100 reviews with this. Thanks for all the support, guys! You all keep me going. =)

**Image Song:** A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP, TRC, or the Image Songs. I only own Iris and Hana. No stealing, okay?

* * *

><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Movement XIII – A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes**

* * *

><p><em>A dream is a wish your heart makes<br>When you're fast asleep  
>In dreams you can lose your sorrows<br>Whatever you wish for, you keep  
>~A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes<em>

"What's wrong, little one?"

Lucas blinked his eyes open to greet only murky wisps of darkness. He whimpered but then realized he was lying in the Dreamplane. Gathering up whatever courage he had, the boy pulled himself into a kneeling position. "I'm scared, ma'am."

Warmth wrapped around him accompanied by the scent of some unknown flowers. "I'm sorry to have put you through such trouble, little one. I broke a taboo, and now I'm—no, we're all—paying for it."

Lucas blinked and turned around. The woman who held him was **not** his Mommy, but she felt so familiar. She looked oddly familiar to Iris, too. Long black hair fell about the two of them. A crimson flower sat behind one ear, pulling back a few bangs. She was dressed in a lavender kimono, the belt fashioned as butterfly wings. Lucas couldn't help but feel he'd seen Mommy wear that before. "Ummm. Who are you?"

The woman laughed. "Ah, children, so blunt. Must remember that!" She ruffled his hair just like Mommy would always do. "My name's Hana Ichihara, Lucas."

_ A pause. "I've asked you once before, Severus," Iris replied. "Do you believe in reincarnations?" The dark wizard nodded, though it was a hesitant one. "You could say I'm a… modified reincarnation of Hana Ichihara."_

_"Ichihara?" the warrior from behind Severus hissed. "The witch?"_

_"Yes, I am blood related to Yuuko Ichihara, the Dimensional Witch… at least this body is," Iris explained. "I'm only here because a certain someone wished for me to stay. Although the wish wasn't explicitly said, the wizard's will was so strong that I could never vanish." Iris kept her gaze locked on Severus' as she said that. The shards continued breaking past her knees._

_"Thanks to all of you, I have made my decision. Time begins to move forward, and thus I will as well," Iris continued._

Lucas suddenly grabbed onto the woman's long kimono sleeves. "Please, ma'am! Where's my Mommy?" His emerald eyes shined with tears. "She said she had to go away, but she didn't **d-die**, did she?"

Hana gently shook her head and pressed a tanned finger to the boy's quivering lips. "Calm yourself, little one." After Lucas took a few deep breaths, Hana cradled him close again. "No, Iris is not dead, in a sense."

If she wasn't dead then… "Is there a way we can make her 'live'?"

The woman hummed. "That's where you come in, little one. Train hard under Watanuki and Severus. Then, perhaps, you'll be able to see her." The darkness around them both shook, causing Hana to frown. She plucked the red flower behind her ear and placed it in Lucas's hands. "Time for you to go, little one."

"But! I have so much more to as—"

Again, Hana's finger stopped his fretting. "We'll speak again soon. Promise."

* * *

><p>"I see that you're awake," came a low voice. Lucas rolled over on his futon and muttered something intelligible. There was a soft chuckle, as if the man was trying to hide it. A murmur of a spell warmed the pair of glasses before they were placed on Lucas' face.<p>

Snape knelt next to him. He had since shed his outer robes and was now clad in a simple button-up white shirt and black slacks. "Was your sleep comfortable?"

Lucas jumped out of his bed and wrapped his arms around Snape's neck. "You're okay, you're okay," he mouthed against the man's neck.

Snape froze but sighed once he realized Luacs wasn't in any trouble. "Yes, you silly child. Did we not tell you that we would be fine?" The boy bit his bottom lip and didn't answer, causing another laugh. "Please release me, Lucas. I am not going anywhere."

With a fierce blush, Lucas did. "Sorry!"

The older wizard shook his head. "There is no need to apologize. Do you think you're ready for breakfast?" The obvious growl of Lucas' stomach was all Snape needed for an answer. "Very well. Go get yourself washed up." The boy scampered out of his grip and ran to the nearest washroom.

"They're always running, aren't they?" Snape stood up and turned to see Watanuki leaning against the doorpost wearing a different outfitfrom the previous day. Black cloth enrobed his form, a sickle moon chain hanging about his neck. The Dimensional Wizard frowned. "When will you tell him about Iris and Hana?"

Snape shot Watanuki a pointed look. "When he's ready."

"Obviously," Watanuki countered, not at all affected by the glare. "When will **that** be?"

The wizard turned his head to the washroom. "That all depends on him."

Watanuki shook his head as he pushed himself into a fully upright position. "Now why does that sound like an excuse…" was the trail as the Japanese wizard padded out of the doorway.

Snape inwardly seethed. _**Cocky bastard, **_he thought to himself. For good reason, yes, but that didn't stop him from being annoyed. The man leaned over to make the boy's bed when something caught his eye. He knelt back down to pick up a blood red flower. Snape froze once he realized just what type of flower it is.

The amaranth fell from his limp fingers onto the floor.

_"There's magic in everything, Sev. Can't you feel nature humming?" Lily asked. She twirled about as she walked across the Hogwarts grounds with the Slytherin tailing her. "Hana taught me that. Can't believe it's already been three years since she came here!"_

_ Severus nodded. "We've learned much from her. Where are we going, though?"_

_ Lily began to walk backwards with her hands clasped behind her back. "Hana said she had a surprise for us. You're the one with the detective skills… Shouldn't you be the one who knows?"_

_ "I'm not omniscient," was the muttered reply._

_ "But Hana is, isn't she?" Lily turned around in order to watch for large roots. They were nearing the Forbidden Forest, so she didn't want to trip. "You know more about this than me. What do you think she meant by granting our wishes?" A shrug. "Maybe we'll be able to ask her. Hana said that if we made a right her—"_

_ Both of their mouths dropped when they first saw the garden. A single cherry tree sat in the middle of a field of all different sorts of flowers. Lilies floated in a small pond to the left. Flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors littered the small area. Hana herself sat against the tree, seemingly oblivious to the garden's beauty. She cradled an acoustic guitar in her hands as she strummed a few chords. At the sound of their footsteps, Hana looked up with a small smile on her face._

_ "_Surprise?_" Hana asked. "_Welcome to The Grove, my personal creation._"_

_ Lily snapped out of her momentary shock. "You grew all of these yourself?" She ran over to the small pond._

_ A nod. "_Yes, this is what I do in my free time when Dumbledore isn't after my help. Stubborn old coot doesn't know when to give up."

_Severus ignored the insult at the Transfiguration professor and knelt down in front of a patch of red flowers. "These are Chrysanthemums, correct?"_

_ "_That they are._"_

_ "They grow in northwestern Europe. How did you…"_

_ A near snort. "_Sourpuss, this is what you get for being so sad all of the time. It's obvious that I used some sort of magic._"_

_ Severus blushed. That **was** stupid of him. "But why mums?"_

_ Hana placed her guitar back in her case and went to pick one of the red flowers. "Chrysanthemums are also known as amaranths, Severus. In ancient myths, the amaranth was associated with the hunter Diana. The word amaranth originates from the Greek _amaranthos_ which means unwhitering since these flowers fade slowly. Therefore the amaranth represents immortality."_

_ "Here they represent death," Lily said once she came over to Hana's opposite side. "We put them on graves of our loved ones."_

_ "That's the same in Asia," Hana continued. She took one flower in her delicate hands. "But in America, where my mother left me, these symbolize happiness. Oftentimes firefighters sell these flowers in order to raise funds. I always bought them."_

_At the sorrow lacing her tone, Severus frowned. "What do you mean by 'mother left you'?"_

_Hana laughed softly. "I wasn't abandoned, if that's what you're thinking." She placed the flower behind one of her ears, pulling bangs away from her face. Severus' frown grew at the unshed tears making her purple eyes glisten. "Immortality isn't as good as it seems. Living forever is actually much harder than dying." Hana took a deep breath. "I don't get why Voldemort wants to live forever. This life isn't even that much fun."_

_Lily hugged Hana from behind. Severus placed one of his hands on the Wishgranter's free shoulder. "It's almost as if you speak from experience," Severus began slowly, staring deep into the girl's eyes._

_Hana's breath hitched. "W-what…"_

_Lily continued, "We're not stupid. We know you're not completely human. I mean come on… who could make an awesome place like this at your age?"_

_Hana closed her eyes and laughed again. "I can't hide **anything** from you two, can I."_

"_Nope!" "Not at all."_

"_You're both impossible," Hana whispered. A small smile appeared on her face. "Some Golden Trio we are!"_

Thankfully Snape was pulled out of his thoughts by Lucas grabbing a hold of one of his hands. Obsidian eyes refocused, and a blush came over the man. Lucas only smiled at him and pointed to the amaranth. "Mommy loves those," he mouthed.

"Yes, Hana did as well."

At the foreign name, Lucas pulled out a piece of paper and a ballpoint pen. _I met her in a dream, Hana._ A tiny smile sat on his face. _Mommy said that you're good at mind magic. She said you could help me train._

Ah yes, training. That was why they were here, wasn't it. "Perhaps I was known for my Occulmency skills," Snape said. He picked up the flower and held it out to the boy. Lucas took it in his tiny hands with the same awe Snape once had as a child. "I'm assuming you received this from Hana in the Dream?"

Lucas bobbed his head. _Is that normal?_

"No, but considering who your parents were…" Snape began, focusing more upon the thought of Lily and not Potter, "I am not entirely surprised. Now didn't you want breakfast? You will need to lead the way." He could only shake his head as the boy pulled him out of the room.

* * *

><p><em>Clang!<em>

Kurogane noticed with a start that something was wrong with Syaoran. His robotic arm trembled with the sheer force placed in Syaoran's strikes. But what surprised the warrior the most was that his protégé wasn't even using magic. He grunted as the brunette struck their swords together once more. Whether this energy came from frustration, anger, or excitement, Kurogane couldn't tell.

"Again!" the ninja ordered as he parried yet another attack. "Keep your form and follow through with your strikes. Your enemy won't give you permission to use magic!"

Syaoran leapt backwards, skidding on the moist morning grass. He kept his guard up, his sword ready to attack and defend. "But your arm! I-Iris isn't here to fix it if—"

"Stop your whining. It'll hold," Kurogane replied. Instead of waiting for Syaoran to attack again, he rushed the teenager.

"_Fuka shôrai! (Come, gale flower!)_" Syaoran shouted, placing his fingers together in a cross. Wind curled about his hands and sword at the incantation. The biting gusts created flung themselves toward the man.

If Kurogane was any less of a _shinobi_, he could have been cut in half. However, his quick movements allowed him to find the weakest portion of the spell in only a few seconds. Thus Kurogane was able to escape with minor cuts across his bare arms and face. He was glad that Syaoran didn't shy away at the blood, like he used to. Kurogane used his sword to slice through each successive attack, though he couldn't find a clear opening to his sparring partner.

"That's enough!" a deep voice commanded. Syaoran blinked, his spell fading at the shock. Kurogane whirled around to see Professor Snape standing at the edge of the shop's porch. "Watanuki has prepared breakfast for all of us. I've seen a sufficient amount of your ability for your first lesson."

To say Kurogane was surprised would be like saying Clow was a sandbox. Just how long had it been since he himself was a student and not the instructor? Kurogane prided himself on being able to read others with little to no information available. He knew that the professor wouldn't coddle them by the way he held himself. Snape didn't slouch but at the same time he didn't tower over them. Kurogane idly wondered how many battles Snape had fought in order to hold himself with such confidence.

"All right," Kurogane acquiesced. "Kid, go wash up."

"Y-yes sir!" Syaoran stuttered, half from the spar, half from the stern tone. His sword disappeared into his left hand as he hurried inside. That left Kurogane and Snape alone. A comfortable silence settled over them as they regarded each other.

"You've taught him well," Snape started. "Did your instruction include magic?"

He shook his head. "No, those techniques are one he learned from his father."

Snape placed long fingers on a temple. "Another descendent of Clow," he mused aloud. "That makes three thus far: Syaoran, Watanuki, and Iris. Dear Merlin, how much more complicated will this become?"

_**You don't know the **__half __**of it, **_Kurogane thought with a frown. He sheathed his sword and breathed deep. The warrior stepped up next to Snape in order to get past him when the professor's voice stopped him again.

"Your injuries," Snape said, not looking at him. "It would not do for Lucas to see you in his state, even if they don't bother you."

Kurogane paused before turning around. Snape held out a wet washcloth. "I've doused it with some mild healing potion. If I were truly trying to kill you, ninja, I would have done so long ago."

A scowl. "You underestimate my skill." He gingerly took the cloth and wiped his face, the small cuts and bruises fading with a single swipe. Kurogane did the same with his right arm.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Your left—"

_Flashes of other memories flew by them. Arguments, laughs, tears, battles. "We journeyed from world to world. Yuuko warned us that it would be hard, but I guess we all underestimated what she said. I lost half of my magic," Fai said. He looked over his shoulder and pointed to his golden eye. "I also gained the blood of a vampire, but you don't need to worry about that. My magic counteracts the worst of it, though I still need to feed once per month. Besides, I can only feed from Kuro-sama." He turned forward. "Kurogane lost one of his arms, but don't tell him I said that! You'd barely be able to tell the difference thanks to the artificial flesh we obtained from Piffle; their technology outshines even yours."_

_Snape's mind immediately went to the cell phone he received from Iris at the word "technology." He resisted the urge to grimace. Perhaps he would ask Fai to, Merlin forbid, help him figure it out. At this point he was too fed up with the phone to care about his pride._

_"Here we go," the blonde mentioned as the mist solidified again. This time they found themselves walking through the streets of New York City. The large building in front of them had a large sign reading "Bellevue Hospital." Snape followed the wizard into the emergency ward, his silence contrasting with the hustle and bustle of everyone working. He followed him to the farthest room. Snape stopped at seeing a **very** pale Kurogane lying unconscious on the sheets. Blood seeped through his bandaged shoulder._

"Pardon my ignorance," Snape muttered, turning around. Instead of the anger he expected from the ninja, he saw Kurogane cross his arms.

"I've become used to it, but the Kid did have a point." Kurogane gestured inside, and the two began to walk side by side. "Is the other Kid all right? He cried himself to sleep last night. Wouldn't even eat anything."

"Is that so."

Before Snape could open the door to the dining room, Kurogane placed his covered robotic arm on it to keep it closed. He shot a pointed look at the Englishman and spoke in a hushed tone, "I don't know exactly what's going on, but I've got my eye on you. Don't fuck this up."

Kurogane slid the _tatami _door open to reveal a low table filled with all sorts of different foods. Lucas waved from a nearby cushion while Syaoran nodded to him. Watanuki and Fai walked in from the adjoining kitchen with the last of the food.

Breakfast itself was a quiet affair, for two reasons. The first was that the food was so good that everyone's mouths rarely emptied enough to talk. The second was that no one wanted to bring up what happened only a few hours ago. Snape glanced at the boy to his right from the corner of his eye. _**A common diversion tactic is to keep the involved parties' minds occupied with other matters**_, Snape mentally reminded himself as he sipped on his tea. _**But we cannot avoid this forever.**_

Lucas placed his dishes neatly together and sighed. His hand wavered as it reached for his paper and pen. After a few moments of the boy not writing anything, Snape spoke up. "He's had a Dream, Watanuki. Of what sort I am unsure. However, an object materialized in this world." Snape gestured to the flower which Lucas had just retrieved from his pocket.

The Dimensional Wizard frowned slightly, reaching out a pale hand. Once Lucas had placed the amaranth in his palm, Watanuki spoke. "Are you able to remember anything, Lucas?"

_Bits and pieces… sorry, Watanuki._

Watanuki waved a dismissive hand and stood up, his black robes swishing at his feet. "Professor, Lucas, if you could come with me for a moment? I have something to show you." The others shared a look but otherwise made no movement. Lucas cocked his head to the side but accepted the hand up from Snape.

The three swept out of the dining room. "A customer gave me something that I think you would like," Watanuki said cryptically as they meandered through the large shop. "And considering what occurred in New York, I believe that it will give you some closure."

_**Closure?**_ Snape wondered as they stopped before a large painted door. Runes of all shapes and sizes littered it, glowing a pale blue. _**More wards… but for what reason?**_

Lucas placed a tiny hand to his mouth, tears springing to his eyes. "Mommy…"

Watanuki, sensing Snape's confusion, explained, "Iris warded this room a long time ago. Now that she's… gone, there's nothing preventing me from opening this room. It's been inaccessible for as long as I've been Shopkeeper, and believe me, it's been a while." A magic circle eerily similar to Hana's appeared below Watanuki's feet when he placed a palm on the runes.

A frown marred his face. "Professor, I believe that you are the only one who may open this." He motioned for Snape to step forward and copy what he was doing.

_**About damn time, Sourpuss.**_

The doors swung open. Before he knew what was happening, Snape found himself tumbling forward into the completely black room. Gentle tendrils of magic wrapped around his form before everything faded into darkness.


	14. Promise

**A/N: **I spy drama. Yaaaay, drama!

It still shocks me how far behind my posting is behind my writing. If you guys are interested, I've already written up to the Christmas chapters in my notebooks… At the rate I'm posting, I'll get to them in December! (And no, this wasn't planned at all. Seriously.)

**Image Song:** The translated song today is Pangako, which is the Tagalog/Filipino word for promise. It's an old song by Ogie Alcasid, used in the drama Pangako Sa'Yo (lit. My Promise to You) and the more current drama Walang Hanggan (lit. Eternal).

**Warnings: **Yes, this is a crossover with Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and xXxHolic. You **do not** need to go and read/watch those series. Everything that needs to be explained will be explained. (Tsubasa's storyline was summarized in **Movement 12**.) You'll just have a smidge of an advantage if you know the gist of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and xXxHolic.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP, TRC, xXxHolic, or the Image Songs. I only own Iris and Hana.

* * *

><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Movement XIV – Promise**

* * *

><p><em>"Promises, once they are fulfilled, do they disappear like fog? Perhaps… but I believe that they place a new blanket of trust woven out from the strength of that promise."<br>~Haruka from __Love Hina_

Snape slowly blinked his eyes open as he came to. Where was he?

"You promised me something a long time ago. Don't you remember? Or have you truly forgotten about me?"

The voice was everywhere at once. The wizard pulled himself into a kneeling position and whipped his head around. There was no light anywhere, and a deep chill seeped into his bones.

"I guess I should give myself a pat on the back. Congratulations, me! You succeeded in making the one person—well one of the two—who truly cared about you to completely forget you existed!" A wry laugh followed, as if one was ringing a broken bell. "I can't help but feel sorry for myself, though. Ah, well. I guess it can't be helped."

There was a familiarity in the voice, one that Snape hadn't felt for quite a few years. Snape closed his eyes and attempted to calm himself down. The warm, comforting magic surrounded him, urging him to respond. The scent of flowers swirled about his form.

"H-Hana?" he whispered in disbelief. This wasn't possible… wasn't she dead? Wasn't she mute?

"Bingo." Snape took a step back and opened his eyes as a spark of light revealed itself to him. It gathered and bubbled until it created a humanoid shape. The light immediately dispersed. A young woman, looking to be about eighteen, stood in front of him. She wore that infamous lavender kimono, its _obi _barely touching the ground behind her. An amaranth pulled back long bangs behind one ear while butterfly clips kept any stray pieces away from her face. Amethyst irises glistened in the light she emanated.

"Hi, Sourpuss. How've you been?" she asked, crossing her arms. "You look like you haven't changed a bit. Minus the stress wrinkles and the streak or two of gray I see, that is." Hana shook her head. "Have you been worrying again?"

He didn't know what to do or what to say. How could she talk like nothing had occurred between them? Snape found himself, for the first time in eight years, completely speechless. "H-Hana, I…"

Hana unraveled her arms in order to whack Snape on the back of the head. "None of this bullshit, you hear me? Stop blaming yourself over something that was ultimately **my **decision."

Snape hissed, years of frustration coming forward. "Whoever it was that attacked the school that night was after **me**."

She gave him a pointed look. "And? I wasn't going to stand by and let you die. There's something that you have to realize, Severus, and realize well." Hana stepped forward, placing a hand on his cheek. Although there was warmth, there was no physical touch behind it. "There are people who love you. I know that this is hard for you to believe but you must. You need to accept the fact that both Lily and I care for you. She and I may have had our differences, but we put up with each other! We did it for **your** sake, Sourpuss."

He stood still, obsidian eyes wide with shock.

"Do you see now? Only took you a decade or two," Hana commented, trying to lighten the mood. She pulled away and twirled, spreading some of her light across the floor. "You've really gotten rusty, Sourpuss. Lighten up!"

"Hana." The sorceress stopped and looked at the man with curious amethyst eyes. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay, shoot."

"That night… What did you mean by protecting something which was most precious to you?"

Hana frowned. "Isn't it obvious, Severus? It doesn't matter at this point." She turned her back to him. "Just forget what I said, okay? You're letting your past overshadow your present." As the girl began to walk away, Snape's hand shot out to grab her wrist. She refused to look at him. "Kindly let me go, **Snape**."

The shock at hearing his last name caused him to loosen his grip. Hana took the opportunity to wrench her wrist away. She glared at him, her purple eyes filling with an unrecognizable fire. Hana walked backwards, shaking her head. "If… If I have to spell it out for you, there wouldn't be a point to our meeting. Although I do have to admit…" Hana placed a hand on her mouth, her glare fading. "I did miss you, Sourpuss."

He was missed? What a funny thought. "Hey. No need to get all depressed on me, you hear? So I may be a little annoyed at you. You should know by now to not take what I say so seriously." Hana spun on her heel, clasping her hands behind her back. "In order to love someone else, you must first love yourself. Lucas needs someone to take care of him… he's quite the needy boy."

"H-how—"

Hana looked over her shoulder and smiled at Snape. His breath hitched; it was as if that small action could dispel the darkness surrounding them both. "Even in death, spirits dream. How else could we be talking right now?" The sorceress began to walk away from him. "Take care of Lucas **and** yourself, will you? You're worrying Lily and me sick."

Snape tried to reach out to pull her back but found himself immobile again. "Hana, wait!"

He didn't see the tears slipping down her cheeks as she walked away, leaving him alone in the darkness.

* * *

><p>As soon as the tendrils of shadow encompassed Snape, Watanuki grabbed Lucas away from the door. A quick movement with his free arm and a muttered spell re-warded the room. The two boys slid backwards on the floor and hit a nearby wall with a hiss from Watanuki. Regardless of the pain, Watanuki's grip increased around Lucas.<p>

And yet the boy struggled. He reached his hands to the now-locked door, his mouth opening and closing in silent screams. _**No! He **__promised__** that he wouldn't leave me. He said he would protect me!**_

The others rushed into the hallway at the crash. "What happened?" Syaoran asked, kneeling down next to the two and assessing their injuries. Kurogane had since drawn his sword, glaring at the seemingly harmless door. Fai stood to his right, magic sparking from his fingers.

"Hana wanted to talk to him alone," Watanuki said as he attempted to regain his normal breathing pattern. The wizard placed a calming hand on Lucas' fringe. "Shush. He'll be all right."

Lucas sat up with a glare. "_How can you even __**say**__ that?_" he screamed telepathically. "_They all say the same thing! Mama said it! Mommy said it! Even the Professor said it! Where are they now, huh? They're all gone and I'm alone and I don't wanna be alone…_"

Watanuki's eyes softened. "Look around you, Lucas."

"_I don't see wh—"_ At the even stare from Watanuki, Lucas huffed and did so. His gaze first landed on Syaoran, who smiled softly at him. He then turned his green gaze to Kurogane and Fai, who stood ready to protect him from whatever harm stole the Professor away. Lucas' frustration immediately vanished, causing him to bow his head in shame. "_I didn't mean it like __**that**__…_"

"I know you didn't, Lucas," Watanuki replied. "Now will you calm down and listen to us?" A tiny nod. "The Professor…" the teenager began, "The Professor is not a nice man, Lucas. You've been told this many times." Another nod. "His heart is strong, but it has been harmed many times." Watanuki gestured to the door with his head. "Hana and Lily, your biological mother, have tried their best to heal him. But in order for him to heal, in order for him to **truly** be ready to take care of you, he needs to realize a few things. Do you understand that?"

The boy nodded timidly. "_Did Mama love him?_"

Watanuki stayed silent for a moment. "It's hard to say, since I don't know the entire story. I don't want to give you false information, Lucas." He gathered his thoughts before continuing. "But perhaps… perhaps she didn't return his love in the same way."

Lucas blinked. "_I don't get it._"

"I didn't expect you to, Lucas, and I don't doubt a shred of your intelligence. It's one of those mysteries of the universe. Surely Iris taught you that."

_Lucas woke up just in time to see the first snowfall of the season. He scurried to his Mommy's room to wake her, but the bed was already neatly made. Confused, he wandered into the main room of the loft. There he found Iris sitting on the bay window, staring out at the falling snow._

"_Mommy?" Lucas dared to ask._

_The woman didn't respond._

_Lucas frowned and clambered up onto the other side of the window seat. The frown only grew at the far away gaze in her brown irises. "Mommy?" Lucas tried again, tentatively shaking a shoulder._

_She blinked and shook out of whatever memory she was in. "Oh, good morning, Lucas!" Iris greeted with a tiny smile. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."_

"'_Bout what, Mommy?" He'd never once seen her let down her guard and look so… lost. Lucas crawled over and climbed into her lap. "I don't want you to be sad, Mommy. Can I do anything to help?"_

_Warm arms came to wrap around him. "I used to love a boy, a long time ago," Iris whispered, gaze still focused on the falling snow. "Today is his birthday."_

"_Where is he now?"_

"_Far, far away, Lucas. He's probably in England right now, teaching."_

"_If you love him so much, why isn't he here with you?"_

_Iris frowned, her grip only tightening around Lucas. "Because he loves someone else. I would never steal him away from her… she was my other best friend."_

_Silence encompassed them for a few moments. The boy snuggled closer to Iris. "Did… did you ever tell him how you felt, Mommy?"_

_A tiny giggle shook her form. It soon bubbled until a full drawn laugh echoed through the loft. That day, Lucas learned that you could cry even while laughing._

Could that boy have been… no, it wasn't possible, was it? Lucas buried his head in his hands. "_Watanuki, my head hurts._"

"A side-effect from the telepathy," was the murmur above him. "Syaoran, can you go into the kitchen and fetch the vial with the opaque liquid inside? The Headache Drought should alleviate his pain." Syaoran nodded and excused himself.

Kurogane looked over his shoulder at them. "Will the Kid be all right?"

"Yes. You can lower your guard now… both of you. I was shocked, is all," Watanuki placated. Fai helped both Watanuki and Lucas off of the floor. The boy was swept up into Kurogane's grip once he had resheathed his katana. "I don't know how long he'll be in there. We may as well make ourselves comfortable."

"What is that room, anyway?" Kurogane asked.

Fai answered, "You can call it a Room of Requirement. Whoever enters it will receive what he or she needs at the time. There's a similar room at Hogwarts, on one of the upper floors." He paused. "The magic used to create such a room is quite powerful, not to mention dangerous. Imagine… what would happen if someone wished for a weapon of mass destruction?"

Kurogane's eyes narrowed at the door. "Then the wards…"

"Must be even stronger," Watanuki finished. "They were only attuned to the Professor's magic, as well. Come, there's nothing more we can do now but wait."

Lucas whined. "_I __**hate**__ waiting._"

* * *

><p>Time escaped him in the Dreamscape. Snape couldn't recall how much time had passed since he had been left alone in the darkness. He only knew of the raging emotions he felt being amplified by being here. It took Snape quite some time to sort out what they actually were.<p>

Confusion was the first. There were far too many questions to ask and no one to answer them. Sure, Snape was used to cryptic responses from Dumbledore, but at least they were responses. A sour taste lingered in his mouth; an answer was better than none at all. How in the world was Hana here, anyway? As much as Snape hated to admit it, even to himself, Hana was killed saving his life.

Oh, how he detested showing weakness. And the one time he did, it cost someone's life… or did it?

"Stop thinking so much," _Hana started. Severus stilled. _"That's better. Now pay attention to what I'm about to say." _She took a deep breath before moving her hand to his cheek. _"We all have secrets, and I'm not about to pry into yours. If you feel like sharing, well…" _Hana pulled away and turned her head to gaze at the full moon which wasn't obscured by any clouds tonight. _"I'm not about to leave you like Lily did."

_Severus also turned his eyes to the sky. "It was **my** fault that she broke off our friendship. I called her a Mudblood."_

_That caused Hana to nearly snort. _"Please. If she were truly your friend, she would have blown off the steam by now and come back to you. In **my** opinion, she's completely smitten by that Potter fellow in your year." _She shook her head. _"Lily doesn't know what she's missing. How often does one come across someone like you: a boy who doesn't care for all the trivial matters?"

_"Not many share my childhood."_

"True," _Hana interjected. _"But at least you're alive, Severus. That's what matters."

_Severus paused at the sadness coating the girl's words. Usually she would speak in a neutral tone. Even though Severus had known Hana for the past four years, come to think of it, he didn't know her much at all. When he glanced at her, he was shocked by the tears dripping from her eyes. "Hana…"_

Snape raised a hand to his head. _**What did she mean by 'at least you're alive'? Was she trying to tell me that she herself wasn't? **_He took his cold palm off of his head and stared at it. _**She was flesh and blood just the same. But the emotions in her eyes said otherwise. Before that point, Hana had never shown open emotion in front of me or Lily.**_

That left another problem: Lily. Were the dead truly able to view those who were living? Snape knew of the ghosts at Hogwarts – how could he forget about Peeves? – and there was no spiritual aura which surrounded him. Snape would easily be able to detect if there were ghosts keeping vigil around him, so that eliminated that possibility. He reached into the corners of his mind to attempt to pull out some more information. Ghosts and spirits were not congruent, but they had similar aspects. Whereas ghosts and spirits both had unfinished business, usually, spirits were not as tangible as ghosts were.

Then there was the issue of the room he was pulled into. How is it that it held a physical representation of the Dreamscape? Or was it just that Snape was slowly going insane? He wouldn't so quickly eliminate **that** possibility. He released a long breath. _**This is far too much information for me to sort through right now.**_

His head snapped up as he began to hear simple and familiar music echo through the Dreamscape. This was a piano, its sound clear and crisp. Although Snape couldn't put a finger on what exactly the song was, he knew there was some connection to Hana and Lily there. Without knowing exactly where he was going, Snape began to walk. He chose to close his eyes in order to ignore the confining blackness and focus upon the melody. With each step Snape found himself relaxing even more, the stress and confusion of his thoughts fading away.

"Why is it, that there's sadness in your eyes?  
>Is it because you don't want me with you, my love?<br>Don't you notice that I have feelings for you?  
>I hope you'll listen to my voice…"<p>

Snape paused. That voice didn't belong to Hana. The enunciation was different, as there was an English accent. He gulped; there was only one other person… His heart began to beat faster and faster as he began to run toward the source of the singing.

"And now I am uneasy,  
>For my heart is lonely.<br>I hope you take good care of it,  
>And keep in mind one promise."<p>

He found his knees buckling without his permission when he opened his eyes. White and red greeted his vision. Two figures sat at a small baby grand piano. Hana was obviously the one playing the melody, but as for the person singing… From his position, Snape could only see a wave of red hair cascading down a white-robed back. Hana nodded as she continued to play, not daring to look back at Snape again.

When emerald eyes so familiar turned to gaze at him fondly, Snape knew. Lily smiled gently and stood from the piano bench. She opened her mouth and continued to sing.

"I promise I'll never leave you.  
>I promise I'll never neglect you.<br>I promise you'll no longer be alone.  
>I promise that from now on,<br>The two of us, will be together."

"L-Lily?" Snape asked, internally cursing at his weakness.

The redhead nodded and knelt down in front of the man, that infernal smile still present. The smile only waned slightly when she placed a hand on the exact spot where Snape felt a headache beginning. "Thank you," Lily whispered.

"What?"

The smile returned. "If it were not for you, Harry would have died the night James and I did. If it were not for you… begging to the Dark Lord to spare my life, my sacrifice would have been in vain. Voldemort—" Lily continued, ignoring the flinch at the name, "would have killed me without giving me the **choice** to live. Do you understand now, Severus?"

To be completely honest, he didn't. It was then he realized that Hana had stopped playing. She too, came to kneel down next to Snape. Hana caught his gaze and explained, "Lily would not have been a willing sacrifice had you not convinced Voldie to give her the choice of whether or not to protect Harry. L-love is ancient magic, Severus… even now, even Wishgranters like Watanuki, my mother, and even me don't understand. I've personally given up trying to figure it out."

Lily whacked Hana on the shoulder. "You liar."

Hana pouted. "I am **not** lying! Sheesh." She stood. "I'll leave you two to catch up. Bye, Sourpuss." Hana vanished before Snape could grab her again.

Lily sighed and shook her head. "She's always running, avoiding. That much hasn't changed much since we were together in school." A gentle touch turned his head so that he was looking into pristine emerald eyes. "I don't have much time left to speak to you here, Severus. I'm quite tired, myself." She leaned in and pressed a small kiss to the crown of Snape's head. When Lily pulled back, she whispered, "Take care of my son for me, will you? I know you have been… but there are hard times afoot. Isn't Christmas in a few days?"

Snape dumbly nodded.

"Keep a close eye on him, Severus. Whoever attacked you in Iris' loft hasn't given up their search for him." Lily's countenance contorted into one filled with pain. "As a spirit, I can't do enough. We can only watch, observe, and give what little answers we can through dreams. Try to keep yourself and my son out of trouble, will you?" Snape couldn't find the strength to move when Lily stood. "Take care, Severus."

A woosh of wind. Snape blinked and found himself sitting in a sparsely-furnished room, save for the baby grand he saw Hana playing on only a few moments ago. A crash caused him to whip his head around. At the entrance of the double doors, he saw a shivering little boy with tears streaming down his face. Before Snape got a chance to react, Lucas ran into the room and threw his arms around Snape's neck. He clung with all his might, and Snape could feel the tremors which wracked the tiny body.

He found himself wrapping his arms around the boy as well. By this point, the reaction was only natural, and Snape decided to stop, at least for the moment, thinking about the consequences. This was Lily's son. This is what he needed to protect. This was the promise that he needed to keep.

Severus didn't need to see the pair of smiles behind him to know that both Hana and Lily were there. Now he knew… now he knew there **were** people who truly cared about him. And perhaps, perhaps he could give that same feeling of security to the little boy wrapped up in his arms.

"Told ya, Lils," Hana said to the woman next to her, in a realm beyond what Lucas and Severus could hear and see, "He just needed a bit of reassurance, is all."

Lily nodded, and the two disappeared.


	15. I Won't Give Up

**A/N: **Long time no see, readers. But for good reason; my area was hit by Hurricane Sandy pretty hard… I've been volunteering and raising money for the last few weeks.

Hope you enjoy this update. A lot happens in here, and that's why it's a bit longer.

**Image Song: **Our image song today is I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz. I've been a fan of Jason Mraz ever since he first broke out, but this slow song really shakes my feels~ The whole song really fits this chapter.

**Warnings: **Yes, this is a crossover with Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and xXxHolic. You **do not** need to go and read/watch those series. Everything that needs to be explained will be explained. (Tsubasa's storyline was summarized in **Movement12**.) You'll just have a smidge of an advantage if you know the gist of Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and xXxHolic.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HP, TRC, xXxHolic, or the Image Songs. I only own Iris and Hana.

* * *

><p><strong>Melody of Magic<strong>

**Written by Fenikkusu**

**Movement XV – I Won't Give Up**

* * *

><p>"<em>I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily.<em>

_I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make._

_Our differences, they do a lot to teach us how to use the tools and gifts we got here.  
>We got a lot at stake."<em>

_~I Won't Give Up_

Lucas snapped his head up at the faint scent of flowers. His eyes slipped shut in order to focus upon the smells. The all-too-familiar scent of lilies wafted through the room, but there was another present as well. His eyebrows furrowed as he thought.

"_Child, come! The Professor needs you now."_

A gentle tug brought Lucas to his feet. He didn't notice the concerned stares of Syaoran, Fai, and Kurogane as he followed the scent out of the sitting room. In little to no time at all, Lucas found himself standing outside the Room of Requirement, which now glowed with the same magic which brought him there.

"_What's wrong, Little One?"_

_**I'm scared**_, was the immediate thought. What if the shadowy tendrils took him too? If they were able to abduct the professor so easily…

"_Be not afraid, Little One. My magic shall not harm you. I never meant to scare either of you… I suppose my magic has grown much stronger than I had originally predicted. Do not fear, Little One. Be brave. You have a lion's heart, do you not?"_

A timid step forward. Little by little Lucas made his way forward until he stood right in front of the Room of Requirement. He placed a shaking palm flat on the wood. The warmth and smell of flowers intensified to borderline smothering before it suddenly vanished. The doors swung open with a resounding bang. Surprisingly Lucas didn't jump; he was too transfixed upon the baby grand and the man sprawled out on the floor.

Tears streamed down his face and tremors wracked his body. His feet moved of their own accord. He threw himself at the Professor, wrapping his tiny arms about the man's neck. Lucas would look back at this moment with a myriad of emotions: relief, happiness, and embarrassment being the principal three. Regardless of what he felt at the time, Lucas knew that this moment was the start of something monumental.

It was the moment that the Professor hugged him back.

Something in Lucas cracked when those strong arms came around him. For some reason Lucas felt that this embrace was different. This wasn't a loose hug. This wasn't because the Professor had to in order to shield Lucas from an enemy. The Professor **wanted** to hold him. Lucas could count on one hand how many people gave him this sort of contact.

A gentle breeze caused Lucas to raise his head from the Professor's shoulder to peer at the piano behind them. Although he didn't see anything, he felt that two spirits were watching them.

"_Told ya, Lils. He just needed a bit of reassurance, is all."_

Lils? _**Mama? **_In a swirl of wind, the auras of the spirits disappeared. Lucas settled in the Professor's grip with a relaxed sigh. Maybe everything would be okay now. _**Just don't let me go, **_he begged mentally.

"You truly are your mother's son," was the whisper in his ear. Lucas pulled back just enough to look into the man's eyes. The onyx irises swirled with so many emotions that Lucas couldn't possibly analyze them all. Pale thumbs pressed against Lucas' temples. "You have Lily's eyes."

Emeralds shimmered. _**That's… That's what Mommy used to say all the time… that I had Mama's eyes.**_

"I… I apologize for my sudden disappearance," the Professor continued slowly, not losing eye contact. "Both of your mothers spoke to me."

_**Is that who I sensed? **_The boy wondered idly. _**But why was he gone for such a long time?**_

The Professor took a deep breath. "I made a promise to both of them that I would take care of you. I will **not **leave you of my own volition. Do you understand?"

Lucas nodded but averted his gaze. He didn't see the frown that crossed the Professor's face at the tiny movement. "You believe that I will leave like the rest: Lily, the Dursleys, and Ha-Iris included," the Professor surmised, causing Lucas to squeeze his eyes shut to deter the newest surge of tears from spilling across his cheeks. "Lucas," the baritone voice said in a tone softer than Lucas had ever heard before. "Look at me."

There was no way that he could say no. Lucas sniffled as he locked their gazes again. "You… you promise?" Lucas mouthed. He couldn't help but hope. Perhaps if he were older, his heart would be hardened enough, but the fact still stood that Lucas was a child. Why couldn't he stop hoping? Intellectually Lucas knew that hoping like this would only hurt him in the end. Why, then, would his heart not listen?

"I do promise," the Professor replied immediately. He pressed a reassuring hand upon the boy's head. "Come. Let us get you ready for the day."

Lucas could only nod and allow the man to pick him up. He was far too tired and relieved to deal with the rationality of it all. His gaze lingered upon the Room of Requirement until the doors swung shut silently behind them.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Watanuki and Kurogane sat calmly in the sitting room. Fai twittered about, cleaning up the remnants of the food scattered about the table. Syaoran paced back and forth, nervousness obvious on his young face. "Mokona is worried!" The white rabbit-like creature bounced onto Syaoran's open palm. "Lucas and the Professor are really, really sad." Her ears drooped as she sighed.<p>

The black Mokona leapt onto Watanuki's shoulder. He looked a bit happier than his twin. "But they're happy too! Connections are being made."

The Tsubasa crew shared a glance. Watanuki was the one who spoke next. "Let's hope that everything will work out for the better," he commented. "It's all we **can** do." For once silence didn't surround them for long.

"Let's go, Kuro-pon~" Fai chirped, latching onto one of the man's arms once all the dishes were put away.

Kurogane twitched before he exploded. "I TOLD YOU TO QUIT THE STUPID NICKNAMES!"

Fai danced away from the _shinobi's _grip. "Fwee!" He raced out of the room, Kurogane swiftly following.

Syaoran placed a hand on his temple to try and stifle his upcoming headache. "Some things never change."

The Dimensional Wizard tried in vain to stifle a laugh. The black Mokona bobbed along with him. "Do you want them to?"

The brunette smiled warmly. "I guess not," Syaoran began, gesturing at the door. "I bet they're going to check on the Room of Requirement. I'm interested too. You coming with?"

A shake of the head. "No, I have some customers to attend to," Watanuki replied. "I'll meet you guys for tea in a few hours." Once Syaoran walked out with both Mokonas hitching a ride, Watanuki closed the door of the sitting room. He settled against the settee and closed his eyes. The physical dimension faded away to reveal wispy darkness. Watanuki took a deep breath and opened his eyes to gaze upon the Dreamscape.

He didn't bother to turn around when tiny footsteps echoed through the realm. The comforting aura surrounding the two spirits told Watanuki that his customers were friendly. Two women came to stand in front of him, both enrobed in white. Lily Potter and Hana Ichihara smiled gently at the Dreamseer.

"Lily, this is KimihiroWatanuki. Watanuki, this is Lily Potter, Lucas' biological mother," Hana introduced. The redhead smiled gently and bowed to the Dimensional Wizard.

"The pleasure is mine, Lily-san," Watanuki began, bowing back in respect. "You and your son truly do share the same eyes."

A pained smile came across Lily's face. "And yet Lucas looks exactly my late husband, James." She shook her head, her flaming curls whipping about. "But that is no matter, now. I have a wish, Watanuki."

* * *

><p>Some time later, they all reconvened in the sitting room and chatted while they ate lunch. "Professor," Watanuki began, pulling his apron over his head. "When do you need to return to England?"<p>

Snape narrowed his eyes, though his anger was not directed at the Japanese wizard. "Unless the Headmaster is in need of me, two weeks."

"Do you have a plan?" Watanuki pressed on, folding the apron. "You realize that it is not healthy for either you or Lucas to stay within this confined space for any extended length of time."

The Potion's Master sighed. "I must return to Hogwarts with Lucas," he concluded. "That much is definite. But as to how to keep his true identity a secret…"

_"Have you found Harry?" Dumbledore asked._

_Snape glared. Of course Albus would ask about the Golden Boy and not about the broken man on the sheets. It's not that Snape needed care or anything, but it did irk him that he was merely a pawn in Dumbledore's game. However, pawns had a distinct advantage. If you were able to move the pawn to the other side of the board, between and beyond the defenses of the enemy, it turned into a queen. Although the king was the most important piece overall, it was the queen who was the most powerful._

_It was time to take back control of his life._

_"No," Severus replied. "I have not."_

Lucas glanced up at Snape from behind his large glasses while he nibbled on some toast. He hated when people talked about him, even though this time it was for his own well-being.

Fai ruffled Lucas' hair, causing the boy to smile slightly. "Would glamour charms do any good, Professor? I realize that Dumbledore can probably see through them, but perhaps there is other magic with the same properties that he does not have knowledge about."

Snape furrowed his eyebrows. "The older the magic, the most likely the Headmaster will not recognize it." He turned to Watanuki. "I'll need access to the storehouse."

The teenager nodded. "Maru and Moro will lead you there."

As if on cue, the two girls ran into the room to collect the dishes. "We have to clean up first!" "That we do!" Maru and Moro said in tandem.

Snape then turned to Lucas. "This will be an all-day affair. There is no urgent need for you to accompany me."

Lucas nodded. He knew that some things were better left unsaid. As much as he didn't want to leave the professor, it was probably better that he didn't mess with the magic of the shop. Instead of worrying about it, the boy tugged on Fai's sleeve.

The blond cheered, "Lucas can come with us! I need to go shopping for groceries in the open markets; with all of us here, we're running out of food faster than expected. Syaoran, can you come with? I'm still not sure where exactly to go, and this is your home world."

A nod. "Sure!"

"I'll stick around here," Kurogane commented, standing from the table. "I have things to do."

"Hokai, break!" Fai exclaimed with a clap of his hands.

* * *

><p>Winters were different in Japan, or so Mommy said—something about being closer to the equator. Lucas blinked as Snape transfigured his clothes into wool ones, complete with a deep green scarf. "Return before nightfall," was the Professor's gentle warning. "Tonight is a new moon. That may only leave a few hours for you to shop, but I refuse to take any unnecessary risks."<p>

Lucas nodded, warmth filling his heart at the words. _**He really is concerned about me! **_He managed to sneak one last hug before he was dragged out, quite literally, by Fai. Syaoran's profuse apologizes followed behind them.

"I wonder what Watanuki wants to cook…" Fai mused. He adjusted the thick shopping bag with a sleeping white Mokona inside. Without her nearby, none of them would be able to understand each other. "Lucas, what are some of your favorite things to eat?"

Come to think of it, that was a good question. Mommy's cooking was so wide-ranged, that it was hard for him to decide. So in response to the blond's question, Lucas shrugged. He glanced about the busy market until his gaze landed upon a stand littered with a long white vegetable. After tugging Fai over and taking a look, they determined it was some kind of radish.

"That's a daikon," Syaoran commented. "It's a seasonal plant which has a mild taste. Most people pickle it, but daikon can be stir-fried too."

Fai hummed, picking up one of the largest. "That settles it! Stir-fried daikon, here we come!"

Lucas couldn't help but smile at his friends' antics. It was almost as if they were a real family… but Lucas knew very well that they would never be considered one, at least in the traditional sense. His smile fell at the realization, causing Fai and Syaoran to share a look.

The brunette knelt down on one knee next to Lucas and softly placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. Lucas flinched slightly and turned frightened eyes to Syaoran. The Japanese teenager tried not to sigh; although they had met Lucas over a year ago, the boy still wasn't completely healed from the abuse he sustained while still living with the Dursleys. Syaoran glanced around the market for a store he used to visit as a child. After a few seconds of searching, he found it.

Syaoran pointed to a small establishment which had various instruments lined up outside. "Why don't we go in there, Lucas? We can get you some new sheet music!"

Lucas nibbled on his bottom lip. Would it be okay for them to go? Did they still have enough time left? Lucas knew very well they did, but he felt that something was going to happen if they went to the store. That was when his mind scolded him. _**You're worrying over nothing! Fai and Syaoran are with you. Nothing bad can happen. And plus, didn't Mommy always say not to 'dwell upon things you cannot change'?**_

With a timid nod, Lucas agreed. His heart fluttered at the smile both of his companions gave him. Lucas Potter making other people happy? What a thought! Usually all he could do was make people mad or worried. The boy remained lost in thought as Syaoran gently steered him into the store. The soft melodies of classical music brought Lucas back to reality, and his eyes widened upon seeing the rows upon rows of musical instruments and sheet music scattered about the store.

"Why don't you go look in the piano section?" Fai suggested, giving Lucas a little push. "We'll be right here."

Even though he was apprehensive – for reasons he himself didn't understand at the moment – Lucas nodded. He began to walk forward, eyes set upon the older music. Maybe he could find something that the Professor liked! Even though it wouldn't be much, Lucas could probably find something that he could play as a thank you. Mommy always told him that his musical talents could make anyone smile.

He failed to notice a shadow approach him from behind.

* * *

><p>The archives of the Dimensional Wizard's shop were extensive, to say the least. Timeless tomes were stored below ground where the elements could not damage them. It took Maru and Moro a good ten minutes to lead Snape through the catacombs, careful to avoid the many traps intended to keep unwelcome company out. The knowledge contained therein could quite possibly change the world, hence why it was so heavily guarded.<p>

When the two girls opened the double doors to the library, Snape's attention was caught by ancient magic. He dismissed the girls with a wave of his hand, saying that he could find the way back on his own. Once they left, he took off his shoes and stepped inside. The wisps of magic immediately accosted him but left as suddenly as they came. By this time the wards were used to his presence; Dumbledore often sent Snape to gather intelligence, and the shop's library was the most extensive in the world.

Snape spent the first few minutes walking along the rows of shelves. Occasionally his pale fingers would brush fine dust off of a spine. Obsidian irises took each title into consideration. Even though his fascination with books had waned due to how busy he still was although the Dark Lord was currently inactive, Snape still appreciated the privilege to scour the timeless tomes.

"What is this?" Snape asked himself as he plucked a thin, hardcover book from a shelf. Its spine was frayed at the ends, its pale color alluding to its age. The words _Melodia Magicae_ stood stark in gold calligraphy on the cover. With slightly shaking hands, he opened the book to the first page.

_Melodia Magicae  
>Hana Ichihara<em>

The words 'how' and 'when' were the first in his mind. Snape flipped to the next page, expecting it to be blank. Instead, all-too-familiar script stared up at him.

**Severus,**

** If you're reading this, I'm no longer in your world. This also means the purpose of this book has come. Regard the information found within with the utmost care. If this were fall into the foe's hands, the Melodies will cause more harm than good. Pass on these lessons to the young Dreamseer.**

** Please take care of this for me, Severus, but don't forget to take care of yourself too.**

**With love,  
>Hana<strong>

He stared down at the page with an expression mixed of disbelief and shock. "Even from the afterlife, you continue to boss me around," the wizard commented. "I cannot help but wonder… do you continue to argue with Lily?" Snape closed the book and headed back toward the entrance of the library. He stopped right before the opening although nothing visible blocked his exit. "Might I be able to take this with me?" he asked no one in particular.

The wisps of magic from before gathered together in order to become visible. White letters floated in the air in front of him. "Of course," they read. "As for the price for taking it out of its sanctuary… it has already been paid."

"What!" was the exclamation. "By whom?" At this, the tendrils gathered into a point and gestured to the book. When Snape opened the book again, the magic brought his attention to the bottom of the second page.

**P.S. This book was made for your use and technically belongs to you. As for the price for taking it from the library, I've paid it already. Don't worry about what it was, okay? Just make sure you use this book well!**

"Thank you," Snape whispered. The ancient magic left him when he stepped back into the main house. He made his way back into the sitting room, where he found Watanuki smoking his signature pipe.

The Dimensional Wizard raised an eyebrow when Snape walked in. "That was quick, Professor. You're usually down there for hours on end, but it has only been…" He reached a pale hand into his chest pocket and brought out a pocketwatch. "Half an hour. I assume you found what you were looking for?" Snape nodded, handing the small book to Watanuki. An unreadable expression crossed the teenager's face as he read the first few pages. "Ah, yes. This should be exactly what you need." He handed it back to Snape.

"How can you be so sure?" Snape asked.

Watanuki laughed, causing Snape to raise an eyebrow. A smirk now sat on his face. "Have you forgotten that Hana was a Wishgranter as well?"

"That does not necessarily mean that she was able to scry like her mother," was the deadpanned answer. Realizing his mistake, Snape resisted the urge to facepalm. "Damn."

Watanuki's smirk only grew. "Moreso than Yuuko-san, actually. Seeing into the future was her specialty, and you know very well what burden knowing the future is. Prophecies work much the same way."

Snape's mouth grew dry at the comment. Being reminded of the hugest mistake of your life didn't exactly put one in a good mood. "I may as well begin my research," Snape said, changing the subject. "Again, I thank you for use of the archives."

The teen waved a dismissive hand at Snape. "It is no problem at all, Professor." His heterochromatic eyes caught Snape's. "We have much to discuss, however. Iris told me that your Headmaster needs some wishes granted." At the question screaming from the onyx irises, Watanuki added, "Even in death, spirits dream."

_Hana looked over her shoulder and smiled at Snape. His breath hitched; it was as if that small action could dispel the darkness surrounding them both. "Even in death, spirits dream. How else could we be talking right now?" The sorceress began to walk away from him. "Take care of Lucas __**and**__ yourself, will you? You're worrying Lily and me sick."_

The familiarity of the words shocked him for a moment. Before Snape could continue the conversation, a sudden crash outside caused Snape to jump. Even Watanuki slid off of the couch, eyes narrowed at the sliding doors. Syaoran ran into the room, panting, eyes wide with fear. "It's Lucas. He's gone!"


End file.
